Posted on 10/29/2011 12:26:50 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
The giant sequoia lies across the popular Trail of 100 Giants at Sequoia National Forest, Calif. No one was hurt when it fell. (Sequoia National Forest / September 30, 2011)
Along the Sierra Nevada's famed Trail of 100 Giants, the mammoth sequoia had stood sentry since King Arthur's knights gathered at the Round Table.
It witnessed the arrival of the first European settlers and the flurry of miners in search of gold. The onset of the Medieval Warm Period and the passing of the Little Ice Age. It stood, unperturbed, through the Great War and the one that followed.
Then a month ago, as a handful of amazed tourists looked on, it toppled crushing a bridge over a small stream and blocking the path.
Now, the U.S. Forest Service must decide what to do.
Slice a big hole in the 300-foot-long roadblock? Go around it? Over it? Under it?
When you're dealing with a 1,500-year-old sequoia in a national monument, the questions aren't just logistical. They're environmental, emotive and potentially legal.
Officials closed the popular tourist trail, cleared the debris and solicited ideas from the public on how to deal with the fallen giant actually two trees fused at the base.
Among the 30 or so suggestions: Reroute the trail. Tunnel under the trunks. Carve steps and build a bridge over them. Sell what would be one heck of a lot of firewood.
"This has not happened in the Sequoia National Forest before," said public affairs officer Denise Alonzo, explaining the indecision.........
In considering its options, the Forest Service wants to keep the paved path accessible to the disabled and make sure nothing is done to damage the root systems of surrounding trees, Alonzo said........
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
See post #85! LOL!!
Yep, you are angry. Thought so. So feeling sympathy for one of God’s creations makes me a liberal in your book. Got it.
I still feel sorry for you, you need to lose some of that bitterness, and look around and marvel in God’s beautiful creations. It’s not all about you and your trying to sound cool and indifferent. Sad.
I will humbly bow to Mother Gaia and beg for her forgiveness.
You're so right, trees would be better of without man kind, we just rape and pillage Mother Gaia....guess I'll go kill myself now.
Excellent idea.
The AAA office in downtown Los Angeles has a slice from a Redwood tree in front of the main entrance.
They have placed little dots on specific rings that correspond to historical moments in time for hundreds (if not over a 1000) years. I forget how old the tree was, or how far back in time the rings go, but it is very cool.
Are you some kind of idiot?
Death is certain here on the accursed planet Earth. Everything begins to die from the moment of beginning.
Its unfortunate that a cult of Earth worship exists, as there is nothing about Earth worthy of worship. God has promised to destroy the Earth and the rest of the universe at the end of his milennial reign; will you be crying?
Its unfortunate that it won’t be milled for lumber, but that is what this crazy country has come to.
I also have this inexplicable urge to build a new redwood fence {;^)
Actually, agere_contra, I did burn down Fern Gully and the Smurf village. You see, I was so despondent over the death of that tree... I figured other things should die, too. Now I am to Gnome village... never liked them to begin with. /s
I’d really like to chat with you, Tyrone, but I have to bring down some more firewood. Aghhh, I love the sound of burning, crackling wood. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!
No one here denies the inherent beauty and awe of what God has created for us here on Earth, Conservative have the utmost respect and reverence for it.
The difference is WE DO NOT WORSHIP IT.
Now, are you sure you're on the right forum?
>> “It means that without trees humans would be pretty bad off, and without humans trees would be better off.” <<
.
That is an incredibly ignorant statement.
Every forest on Earth is fully dependent on man for its health. When we ignore them, they fall into deep decay, and become fire traps that burn so intensely that they will never be forests again. When we thin and harvest them they remain healthy, and productive.
The only reason that we have those giant trees is that the Costanoan indian tribes had the sense to burn the forests constantly to keep the chamise from choking out the trees.
We’re gonna need a bigger train....
Do what I did... start a nice, roaring fire in the fireplace. Right now, it has some OAK logs and some CHERRY and MAPLE. Oh, the humanity!
And yes, it is the way of human beings to run roughshod over nature. Look at any city.
Botany and biology are science that you cannot escape, and trees are a big part of a healthy planet. No healthy planet, dead humans.
Now, I do not think that humans are capable of destroying the planet; that stance is pure arrogance of stupid people and the resulting group think that so many people enjoy. Earth has been around longer than we can know, and will continue to be around long after humans have killed themselves off, which no doubt will happen.
I find the interaction of the Earth and organisms endlessly interesting.
Unless of course that organism is an idiot, which seems all too common.
I apologize for being serious; we now return to your regularly scheduled LOL cats.
LOL, thanks for reminding me. I need to place my order for some fire wood, seriously.
I usually get Cedar, I love the smell of felled, dead, cut Cedar Trees!. Burns hot too!
Now, back to my fence building and oh yea, TIMBER!!!
They aren’t on the right forum at all. You are right.. no one is happy the tree died and fell. However, most aren’t crying or wringing their hands. Trees die... they get some tree disease, get hit by lightening, or suffer from a drought etc... It’s been happening since the dawning of man. The only difference is we now have mother-earth worshippers who would rather focus their empathy/sympathy on a tree than human beings. And to think my original post was tongue in cheek?
Holy cow, are you angry! Please, don’t bother replying to me, I really don’t like people using large font lettering to emphasize that they are yelling. It is rude. And you are rude.
Have a nice day.
I guess you don't fly much, do you. Or if you do you never looked down.
You're statement that trees would be better off without man is utterly stupid, or was that you supposed sarcasm?
And you have a nice stay.
See post #98... in the corner is Tyrone and on the left is teenybrain.
That might be one of the dumbest things I have ever read. Are you aware that some evergreens require fire to reseed?
Forest fires and tree growth are both natural events; the ebb and flow of the Earth, which occurs with or without humans.
Do you seriously think that trees would not exist without humans? You think that the first human procured some magic tree seed and planted the first one ever?
Forest management is for the benefit of humans, not trees. To assume humans know best how to manage nature is absolutely retarded.
Human beings are to the Earth what fleas are to a dog. That's just the way it is, an no, it doesn't mean I want to kill myself to save the Earth.
Nature is an awesome thing and it damn sure is bigger and more powerful than you or me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.