EcoNews Report

EcoNews Report: Save the Redwoods League in the 21st century

By Scott Greacen,

Alicia Hamann, Jennifer Kalt, Tom Wheeler

Published November 3, 2026 at 9:51 AM PST

Coast Redwood forest and understory plants in Redwood National Park, California. from Wikimedia. Creative commons license.

The venerable Save the Redwoods League was founded in 1918. Some hundred-plus years later, the League continues to be a major force in redwood conservation and restoration—although some of the work today may seem unfamiliar. To restore redwood forests, Save the Redwoods League is often employing some of the same tools that led to the loss of 95% of old-growth redwoods: chainsaws and logging trucks.

Redwoods Rising is the ambitious project to restore 70,000 acres of formerly cutover land in Redwood State and National Parks. Ben Friedman, Director of Government Affairs at Save the Redwoods League, joins the show to discuss the unfinished work of the League and the next century of conservation.

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Scott Greacen

In addition to being a host on EcoNews Report, Scott Greacen is also Executive Director of Friends of the Eel River. Scott is a graduate of Reed College and Lewis and Clark Law School, and a member of the California bar. He has been active in the environmental movement since 1989.

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Alicia Hamann

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Jennifer Kalt

Jennifer Kalt is the Director of Humboldt Baykeeper, which works to safeguard coastal resources for the health, enjoyment, and economic strength of the Humboldt Bay community. The Baykeeper edition of the Northcoast Environmental Center's EcoNews Report airs on the third Thursday of the month, and features interviews of the many fascinating people involved in Humboldt Bay issues. For more info, visit humboldtbaykeeper.org.

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Tom Wheeler

Tom Wheeler is the Program Director and Staff Attorney at the Environmental Protection Information Center. Tom graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with a concentration in Environmental Law. When he’s not nerding out over the Endangered Species Act (his all-time favorite law), Tom is probably plunking the banjo, playing ping-pong with his wife, Jenna, or petting his cats, Fatty and Trim. Tom can be reached at tom@wildcalifornia.org.

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