Armstrong Redwoods Reserve made part of nationwide Old-Growth Forest Network

The Armstrong Redwood State Natural Reserve in Guerneville, a popular destination for locals and out-of-town visitors alike, has been incorporated into the nationwide Old-Growth Forest Network, a project aimed at protecting and promoting old growth forests around the country.

The 805-acre reserve was dedicated Friday, becoming one of more than 185 forests in 32 states, primarily in the northeast and east, to receive the designation from the 11-year-old nonprofit network thus far. There are now 16 in California.

The only other nearby member forest is Samuel P. Taylor Park in Marin County, though there are three others in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The hope eventually is to identify an old-growth landscape in every U.S. county that has one and can sustain it to ensure they are acknowledged and treasured for their rare longevity, complex beauty and ecological benefits, said Noelle Collins, southwest regional manager for the network.

“It’s really important to get people out onto the land and just see how everything is interconnected,” said Collins.

She added, regarding Armstrong Woods, “just seeing all the undergrowth on the forest floor, just seeing how everything is interdependent, it’s just so interconnected.”

Founded by plant biologist and ecologist Joan Maloof, professor emeritus at Salisbury University in Maryland and a board member of the nonprofit network, the effort was begun in recognition of the continued decline of old growth forests of all types and the absence of any single entity devoted to their protection.

Only about 5% of remnant old growth forests on the West Coast remain and only 1% on the East Coast, mostly hardwood.

The designation is also an acknowledgment that gradual aging of forest habitat provides critical habitat and nourishment for plant and animal species that share the space, generates new topsoil and produces oxygen while storing carbon.

Though much of Armstrong Woods, first protected in 1917, was once cut for timber, the ancient grove on the valley floor includes majestic, original trees that seem from a primeval time, many of them moss-covered and gnarled or scarred by fire, including some with hollowed-out “goose pens” from wildfires long ago.

The oldest example is the Colonel Armstrong Tree, believed to be more than 1,400 years old. Among the tallest is the towering Parson Jones Tree that reaches above 310 feet.

Even breathing the air in grove, Collins said, feels different.

Maloof’s goal, she said, “is to show people, ‘Oh, I have an old growth forest in my community,” because many don’t realize it, Collins said.

“It really just puts us on the map for people to be aware there is an old growth forest in Sonoma County,” said Bill Maslach, acting sector state superintendent for California State Parks.

Though Armstrong Woods already has a high profile, the designation could work to elevate its profile, just as it would bring greater attention to a lesser known forest, said Justin Lindenberg, executive director of the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, which manages Armstrong Redwoods in partnership with State Parks.

“Armstrong is a reserve, and that’s something that we take a lot of pride in,” Lindenberg said. “It’s managed to a higher degree of conservation than a typical park.

“We’re honored to be a part of the network and to celebrate what’s important and special about old growth forests, and we’re hoping to protect that,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan (she/her) at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.