Big Basin Redwood Forest: California's Oldest State Park

by Traci Bliss, Martin Rizzo-Martinez (Foreword by), Mark G. Hylkema (Foreword by)

Overview

The epic saga of Big Basin began in the late 1800s, when the surrounding communities saw their once "inexhaustible" redwood forests vanishing. Expanding railways demanded timber as they crisscrossed the nation, but the more redwoods that fell to the woodman's axe, the greater the effects on the local climate. California's groundbreaking environmental movement attracted individuals from every walk of life. From the adopted son of a robber baron to a bohemian woman winemaker to a Jesuit priest, resilient campaigners produced an unparalleled model of citizen action. Join author Traci Bliss as she reveals the untold story of a herculean effort to preserve the ancient redwoods for future generations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467145046
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	09/06/2021
Series:	Landmarks
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Emerita Professor Traci Bliss began her career in public policy. She went on to become an award-winning education professor and state policy advisor to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She holds BA, MA and PhD degrees from Stanford University and an MPA degree from the LBJ School, University of Texas-Austin. With this multidisciplinary lens, she captures the true story of Big Basin. She is a member of the Santa Cruz Historic Preservation Commission and a state park docent.

Table of Contents

Foreword Martin Rizzo-Martínez Mark Hylkema 9

Preface 13

Introduction Bonny Hawley 17

Guide to Photo Acknowledgements 21

1 Ownership of Big Basin in the Nineteenth Century 23

2 Setting the Stage 29

Stanford University: Vision and Expertise 29

Santa Cruz County: Stewards and Community Involvement 39

The Power of Political Accomplishment 46

Santa Clara County Activists: Journalists and Jesuits 49

3 A New Era Begins 56

4 Building a Committed Coalition 64

5 Preservationists Swarm to Capital 73

6 Unforeseen Obstacles 80

How a Jesuit Priest Turns the Tide 89

A Governor Who Believes in the Cause 93

7 Opened at Last but Catastrophe Looms 95

Stanford Comes Through 99

The Great Urban Disaster 101

8 Rape of the Redwoods 107

9 Stability at Last 112

A Clean Sweep and a Sad Goodbye 115

10 The Last Campaign for the Mountain Redwoods 120

The Final Push 127

Permanent Protection 131

Epilogue 137

The Weekend Crowds of July 2020 137

The Role of Park Interpreter 138

The Campfire Center 140

The Ashes of 2020 141

Heroic Response to an Inconceivable Challenge 144

A Dream Postponed 149

Innovation in the Midst of Catastrophe 150

The Artifact that Survived the Inferno 152

Afterword 155

Acknowledgements 157

Appendices

Original Owners of the Sioux Scrip Used to Purchase Big Basin Acres 161

Big Basin Nature Museum & Research Center 163

Notes 165

Bibliography 173

Index 181

About the Authors 189

Editorial Reviews

"Historian Traci Bliss has a new page-turner of a history book out called 'Big Basin Redwood Forest: California's Oldest State Park.' It includes a rare assortment of photos with several in stunning color in print for the first time. This books is a loving tribute to the women and men whose great conservation efforts define our values, and inspire a resilience in charting the future of Big Basin. As it's entry gate once read: 'To Be Preserved In A State of Nature.'"

Santa Cruz Sentinel

- Ross Eric Gibson, Santa Cruz Sentinel

"In 'Big Basin Redwood Forest, California's Oldest State Park,' Bliss writes the stories of the early preservationists who never gave up on their fight to establish the first permanent park in California. Through exhaustive research, family photographs that have never been seen publicly, and firsthand accounts from inside the park, the book celebrates at every facet the victory of Big Basin. 'This is what Big Basin was, this is what Big Basin will be again,' Bliss said. 'It is ineffable.'

San Lorenzo Valley Post

- Julie Horner, San Lorenzo Valley Post

"The movement to protect the region's most iconic redwoods was not just another 'one great man' tale, historian Traci Bliss reveals in her new book."TheSixFifty.com

- Kate Bradshaw, TheSixFifty.com

"Dr. Bliss's excellent "biography" of a place, the Big Basin, reawakens for today's citizens the beginning, and by explicit challenge, our continuing obligation to protect these extraordinary places for future generations. Read Big Basin Redwood Forest, become involved in the Reimagining Big Basin process and embrace a more complete dedication like that of these early preservationists." Patrick A. Shea, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management

- Patrick A. Shea, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management

From the Publisher