Historic Preservation Act. They are among the oldest cabins in the Sierra National Forest. Railroad Fire In September 2017, the devastating Railroad Fire swept through much of Nelder Grove. The inferno claimed 38 of the grove's 92 monarch trees and forced the permanent closure of the popular Shadow of the Giants trail. Experts say a variety of factors contributed to the wildfire's destructive behavior, including the historic 2011–2017 California drought, which had led to extensive foliage dieback and other stress responses in the giant sequoias. Furthermore, a century of fire exclusion had resulted in heavy fuel accumulation on the forest floor and an overgrowth of understory vegetation, leading to more intense burning. Concerned forest monitors had been warning of the risk of such a fire for decades. As early as the 1960s, Madera County had discussed plans to acquire the grove in order to sidestep federal limitations on timber cutting and prescribed burning in the Sierra National Forest. Despite these warnings, no major preventative measures were taken ahead of the Railroad Fire. "We'd better reduce the fuels, or we're going to lose this resource," warned Paul Rich, a retired 33-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service in 2000. Protection In August 2022, the USDA began a hazardous fuel reduction program in Nelder Grove. Officials hope to build upon the success of wildfire prevention programs in nearby Mariposa Grove during the 2022 Washburn Fire. The plentiful natural regeneration of seedlings is a source of optimism for other groves with large, severe burn scars. See also List of giant sequoia groves Mariposa Grove - the nearest neighboring giant sequoia grove. Converse Basin Grove - a giant sequoia grove that was logged extensively in the 19th and early 20th centuries. External links Friends of Nelder Grove References Giant sequoia groves Sierra National Forest Protected areas of Madera County, California