| Nelder Grove | |
|---|---|
 The Bull Buck Tree of Nelder Grove | |
| Map | |
  | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Madera County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°26′24″N 119°35′16″W / 37.4399402°N 119.5876482°W |
| Elevation | 5,200–5,600 ft (1,600–1,700 m) |
| Area | 1,540-acre (6.2 km2) |
| Ecology | |
| Dominant tree species | Sequoiadendron giganteum |
Nelder Grove, located in the western Sierra Nevada within the Sierra National Forest in Madera County, California, is a Giant sequoia grove that was formerly known as Fresno Grove. The grove is a 1,540-acre (6.2 km2) tract containing 60 mature Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees, the largest concentration of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest.[1][2] The grove also contains several historical points of interest, including pioneer cabins, giant sequoia stumps left by 19th-century loggers, and the site where the Forest King exhibition tree was felled in 1870 for display.[3]
Before European Americans arrived, Nelder Grove had 400 mature sequoias, but the population has experienced several steep declines since then.[4] About 70% of the mature trees were cut during the late 19th century timber era.[4]: 3 Despite federal protection in the 20th century, the sequoias have been further impacted by decades of fire exclusion, with 38 trees lost in the Railroad Fire of 2017. Today, only 60 mature specimens remain in the grove.[2][5]
In 1928, the Madera Sugar Pine Company transferred the land to the U.S. Forest Service, placing the grove under federal protection.[4]: 93
- ^ "Chapter 3 - Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences". Final Environmental Statement (Technical report). Vol. 1. Clovis, California: The U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2010.
- ^ a b Stephenson, Nathan; Brigham, Christy (June 25, 2021). "Preliminary estimates of sequoia mortality in the 2020 Castle Fire" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center: 8. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ Lowe, Gary D. (2004). The Big Tree Exhibits of 1870-1871 and the Roots of the Giant Sequoia Preservation Movement. Livermore, California: Lowebros Publishing.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Negleywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hussain, Judi (February 16, 2024). "Scenic Byway Association Holds Status Meeting". Sierra News Online. Retrieved February 29, 2024.