Big Trees, Big Views Protected

Including a 1,000 year old tree we call the Great White

This article originally appeared in our newsletter, Landmarks, Winter 2008

People who had been in the forest told us it was steep and rugged and that there were some big old growth trees still there. The redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains have been pretty thoroughly logged and the idea of surviving old growth was exciting just to think about. And so it was even more exciting when we started talking to Susan and Larry Milliron about a conservation easement on their land that would protect those old growth trees forever.

At the end of 2007 we finalized the agreement with Susan and Larry to protect the 80 acres and to name it the Ann and James Milliron Forest in honor of their children. It seems a fitting way to protect forever land that has been in the family for four generations. “I feel very good about keeping it the way it is,” Sue Milliron says.

Their forest adjoins our forest, the 320 acre Byrne Forest above Corralitos, which we have owned since 1984. If you walked around the 400 acres we now protect, you’d be taking a very strenuous four mile hike. After bushwacking up and down the Milliron Forest slopes for a few hours, one staff member said it might be only 80 acres, but if you flattened it out it would probably be 1000.

Elevation ranges from 960 feet above sea level to almost 1500 feet. A number of seasonal creeks and one perennial creek run through the property, all of them draining into Corralitos Creek and eventually into the Pajaro River and the Monterey Bay. Most of the property (58 of its 80 acres) is broad ridge tops covered with brush and hardwoods, with the occasional redwood or Douglas fir, some of them huge. The remaining 32 acres are a mix of moderate slopes and steeper inner drainages covered mostly with coast redwood, Douglas fir, and hardwood.

One particular redwood caught the attention of our Conservation Project Manager, Julie Anne Hopkins. It is 250 to 300 feet tall and an experienced forester estimated that it could be 1000 years old. Many of the old growth redwoods in the Milliron Forest are located in steep drainages where topography and the difficulty of removing them saved them from logging. This particular tree isn’t in a drainage, but on a south facing slope, surrounded by brush and chaparral. Because it is so exposed its bark has been bleached by the sun, which is why Julie Anne calls it “the Great White.”

The Great White and other old growth are only part of the special appeal of the Milliron Forest. Its ridge tops offer spectacular views across the Pajaro Valley and Monterey Bay. It is richly diverse, with the magic of old growth redwoods matched by majestic oaks and madrones.

We are delighted to be able to protect and care for this forest forever. At this time, the forest is not open to the public, but we will lead guided hikes there for our members later this year. We’ll also be removing invasive non-natives like pampas grass. More photos and information on these hikes and on volunteer opportunities are on our website: www.landtrustsantacruz.org. •

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