Several groves are owned by Native American tribes and by private owners. Although the giant trees themselves are already protected, this new national monument will eventually prohibit commercial timber operations of other tree species that could potentially disrupt the well-being of the giant sequoias. No one really knows how long a giant sequoia can live. Many of the trees at the Sequoia National Park are believed to be more than 3,000 years old. The oldest known tree to be aged from its tree rings was 3,300 years old when it was felled.
Fire is an important part of giant sequoia forest ecology.
Giant sequoias have a spongy fire-resistant tree bark that is 1 to 2 feet thick, allowing them to withstand forest fires. Fire is also important for the reproduction of these trees. Most seeds are released after a fire and need bare mineral soil, cleared by fire, to germinate. Young seedlings need sunlight during their initial growth stages, and will wither away under the shade of understory trees and shrubs. However, the benefits of forest fires were not recognized during early forest management practices.