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Demolition Activities
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Upper Kaweah guest lodging is carefully
removed during the
restoration efforts of 1999.
© NPS photo by Athena Demetry.
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Overview
The first challenge of restoring Giant Forest was to demolish and
remove infrastructure without causing further damage to vegetation
and soils. To achieve this goal economically and within the targeted
time frame, the demolition was accomplished by contractors using heavy
equipment such as excavators, loaders, and backhoes, or smaller equipment
or hand tools in sensitive areas. Over 282 buildings, 24 acres of
asphalt, dozens of manholes, a sewage treatment plant and spray field,
and all exposed sewer and water pipe, aerial telephone and electric
lines, and underground propane and fuel tanks have been removed. Ecological
restoration has been conducted on 231 acres. See our before-after
section to see the extent of demolition.
The demolition was phased over five major projects, spanning the
years 1997 to 2005. Phase 200 M (1997-1999) removed all buildings
and infrastructure from the Giant Forest Lodge, and buildings in Pinewood,
Highlands, and Firwood. Phase 200 O (1999) removed all buildings and
infrastructure from Lower Kaweah, Upper Kaweah, and the Market area.
Phase 200 P (2000) removed the asphalt roads and remaining infrastructure
from the Sugar Pine, Sunset, Paradise, Highlands, and Firwood campgrounds,
which were abandoned in the 1960’s. Phase 200 Q (2001-2005) will remove
the Sherman Tree entrance road and parking lot and replace them with
a parking lot outside of the sequoia grove and a trail leading to
the tree. Phase 200 R (2005) will remove roads and the final parking
lot in the Lodge area.
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