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172
nd
C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, July 21, 2023
Volume 172 • Issue 83 | $1.00
World’s tallest white fir found in Caldor Fire burn scar
n Tree hunters worry
discovery may be cut down by loggers
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2 homes burned in Pollock Pines Odin Rasco Staff writer El Dorado County Fire Protection District firefighters quelled a fire that burnt away the majority of two Pollock Pines homes last night. The fire initially began just before 6 p.m. as a single-structure fire at a home on the 6000 block of Center View Drive, according to Capt. Jacob Poganski with the El Dorado County Fire Protection District. The fire started at one home and then consumed several attached buildings, including sheds, garages and an RV, before ultimately spreading to a neighboring home.
Tressa Gibbard Sugar Pine Foundation
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our days before the Caldor Fire erupted in Grizzly Flat in August 2021 tall tree hunter Michael Taylor emailed the Sugar Pine Foundation that he had located “a special grove of towering white fir” as he was scanning light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imagery for the Eldorado National Forest in the vicinity of Pollock Pines. Excited by the prospect of surveying the previously unknown and tall white firs, he wrote, “We should go there ASAP.” As Taylor was mobilizing to measure and document the trees, the Caldor Fire ignited less than 10 miles away from the grove. Taylor made headlines in 2006 when he discovered the world’s tallest tree — a 380-foot-tall coast redwood in the Redwood National Forest. With flames racing toward his trees of interest, Taylor switched gears and instead monitored the fire’s movements and behavior to predict if the tall, old trees would survive. After the Caldor Fire was out, when roads were still closed for safety reasons, he scrutinized post-fire satellite imagery of the destruction zone to find evidence the trees were alive. Earlier this month, he was able to visit the site with fellow big tree hunter, photographer and birder Joshua French. The pair said they were astonished at what they found. In a deep, steep-sided drainage, a white fir towered above Douglasfir, ponderosa pine and even sugar pines. White fir typically “grow fast and die young” and are not known to reach great age or impressive heights. This particular white fir grows in a unique position where it can tap into a creek and has been forced to invest in vertical growth to catch enough sunlight to grow competitively amidst neighboring species that are usually taller. Taylor and French measured and photographed the tree, which they
n See Fire, page A5
Christian heritage proclamation draws controversy Eric Jaramishian Staff writer El Dorado County leaders’ latest approved proclamation, which declares that El Dorado County recognizes July as American Christian Heritage Month, was met with controversy during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Brought forth by District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl, the proclamation affirms how the history of the United States is incorporated with the values of the Christian faith and states the impact of the religious belief should be recognized in America’s history. n See proclamation, page A7
Public Health responds to syringe exchange claims Odin Rasco Staff writer
Photo courtesy of Joshua French
The world’s tallest white fir was measured earlier this month by in the Caldor Fire burn scar at 265.87-feet tall and appropriately dubbed Firetop. n See White Fir, page A9
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In recent weeks both the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and Placerville City Council have voted in favor of sending letters urging the California Department of Public Health to not permit the Sierra Harm Reduction Coalition to continue operations in the county, claiming the group causes more harm than good. SHRC’s website states that the organization is n See Syringe exchange, page A8
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