SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST, CA

Saying the nation's last remaining giant sequoia trees must endure for future generations, President Clinton recently placed almost all the majestic trees under permanent federal protection from logging and other dangers. ``These giant sequoias clearly are the work of the ages,'' the president said. ``They grow taller than the Statue of Liberty, broader than a bus.'' He said they were so perfectly adapted to their environment that none has ever been known to die of old age.

Along the Trail of 100 Giants, a remote spot high in the Sierra Nevada, Clinton stood amid soaring trees 2 millennia old to declare a new national monument encompassing some 327,000 acres of federal land in central California.

The monument designation will end logging, mining and some recreational activities around the protected groves, angering some California businesses and outdoor enthusiasts. ``This is not about locking lands up,'' the president said. ``It is about freeing them up for all Americans for all times.''

Sequoia, the largest trees on the planet, can live more than 3,000 years and grow to more than 300 feet tall. Some span more than 30 feet at the base. Sequoia once thrived across western North America, but after centuries of logging and development now stand in only about 70 groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

Clinton's recent action protects 34 groves under the 1906 Antiquities Act. Clinton has used the Antiquities Act on several occasions to carve out major areas of land for special protection without going to Congress. On each occasion he has met strong criticism from Western lawmakers and state officials. White House officials have acknowledged the actions are part of an attempt by the president to leave an environmental legacy.