Apr 29, 2024 16:00:00

The forest of Endor from Star Wars no longer exists

In the sixth film in the Star Wars series

, Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi , the final battle between the Empire and the Rebels, known as the Battle of Endor, took place on a planet called Endor , which was covered in lush forests. The news site SFGATE has compiled stories from people involved at the time about where the California forest used for filming Endor was sacred and what it is now.

How Calif. forest used as Endor in 'Star Wars' disappeared
https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/What-happened-to-Endor-from-Star-Wars-17145105.php

The Forest of Endor scenes were filmed in Del Norte County , located in northwestern California, and provided a huge economic boost to the local economy, with 100 residents being hired as Stormtroopers, the mobile infantry of the Galactic Empire.

According to former Del Norte County employee Ernie Perry, the staff were looking for a location to shoot a horror movie titled 'Blue Harvest' at the time, and some trees had to be replanted or cut down for filming, so they introduced private land that did not require special permission. However, when filming actually began, the set was gorgeous and

Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) were lined up, so 'I realized this was not a typical horror movie,' Perry said. 'Blue Harvest' was a dummy project to hide the production of 'Return of the Jedi'.

But just months after filming wrapped, the redwood forests used for filming were cut down across the region. 'Endor is no more,' SFGATE tells us.

The Endor forest was cut down as a result of filming on private land that was originally planned for logging, not as a result of the filming of the movie. Mario D. Vaden, a longtime arborist and national park photographer, said, 'If anyone could have foreseen the popularity and success of Star Wars, there would have been no way they would not have preserved the grove used for filming Endor and used it as a tourist attraction. If they had been preserved, the forest would have become world famous.'

'The Battle of Endor' took place in Del Norte and

Humboldt counties , and much of the private land on which it was filmed has been cleared. However, Nate Adams, deputy director of the Humboldt Del Norte Film Commission, said, 'Some of the chase scenes and other scenes shot in state parks in Humboldt County have been permanently protected, and people can still visit and enjoy the film's setting.'

And, Perry said, the legacy of Endor may live on: The trees that were cut down at the time are being used as decking in communities across the San Francisco Bay Area , meaning 'people could be walking on decks built in Star Wars settings,' he said.

Incidentally, one place that has been rumored to be the 'Endor Forest' is Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, California. The Endor Forest is known for its impressive redwood trees, so it is believed that the name of Muir Woods National Monument, a primeval forest of redwoods, was mentioned. However, Julian Espinoza, a public relations officer for Muir Woods National Monument, said that because fires are strictly prohibited on the premises and because the park is small and has a large number of visitors, commercial filming is rarely done within the park.