THE LARGEST BLACK OAK IN THE COUNTRY WAS DISCOVERED BY CARL CASEY AND ROBERT HUNTINGTON NEAR GROVELAND. Carl Casey and Robert Huntington recently received an official certificate from American Forests recognizing a California black oak tree they found as being the largest known tree of that species in the country. The tree is seven and one-half feet in diameter, 91 feet tall and has crown spread of 78 feet. It is located about six miles east of Groveland, near highway 120, roughly 3,000 feet elevation.

Black oak trees were highly valued by many Native American tribes in California because their acorns were a major source of food. In many mid-elevation areas of the Sierra Nevada (including Yosemite Valley) annual grass fires were set in the fall to clear the forest floors. This allowed for more open forests, which benefitted black oaks because in order to thrive they need more sun than other trees such as ponderosa pines. More open forests also provided more grass for grazing animals such as mule deer, which were another important source of food for many Native Americans.

Casey works in the fiscal department of tribal administration, and Huntington works in the warehouse department for a casino. They both enjoy hiking in the great outdoors and have a common interest in trees. Huntington is particularly interested in coast redwoods, as he grew up in the Santa Cruz area, and giant sequoias, and is a local expert on the Nelder Grove of giant sequoias just south of Yosemite. The duo, along with their friend Rick Messier of Mariposa, have also found the second largest specimen of California white fir, the third largest specimen of California red fir, and a western juniper that ranks in the top five, all in Yosemite National Park.

American Forests is a conservation organization that was founded in 1875 to protect and help restore the forests of America. It started the National Register of Big Trees in 1940, and anyone who is interested can view the entire list of 733 national champion trees on its Web site at www.americanforests.org and click on “Resources.”