United States Forest Service.

Pacific Southwest Region
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, CA 94592
707.562.8737
TTY: 707.562.9240
FAX: 707.562.9130

Planting Trees to Restore Forest Health

Photograph of a hillside burning, with a detectable line of fire, and heavy smoke billowing up in the air.

Restoration of areas impacted by wildfire helps reduce climate change impacts

A lone tree seedling sprouts in a forested area scorched by wildfire.

Plant a tree!

Planting trees in areas devastated by wildfires or other natural disturbances is critical to restoring and improving the health of our national forests and helps reduce climate change impacts. Apart from the benefits of carbon storage, planting trees also helps conserve soil and water and enhance water quality, wildlife habitat, scenic values, and other ecosystem services. Planting trees presents an opportunity to reduce climate change impacts by storing additional carbon that can help offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change. Tree planting that enhances forest health and resiliency will also help these ecosystems adapt to climate change.

Increased Response to Wildfire

The wildfires of 2007 and 2008 alone burned more than 250,000 acres of forestland on California's national forests into a deforested condition. Some of this land is in wilderness areas. Other areas are expected to recover without assistance. About half is estimated to benefit from tree planting. From a historic low of about 7,000 acres planted in 2007, efforts to be more responsive to post-fire restoration have resulted in about 8,000 acres of planting in 2008, 22,000 acres of planting in 2009, and plans for 38,000 acres of planting in 2010.

Forest Services Partnership with National Arbor Day Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, and American Forests

Unique partnerships with nonprofit organizations like the National Arbor Day Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, and American Forests are helping many national forests around the country, including those in California, plant trees in areas that have been devastated by wildfires. Grants to the Forest Service by these 3 organizations have contributed to more than 4 million trees planted on national forest lands in California from 2006 through 2009. In 2010 alone, the Region intends to plant more than 6 million trees total, and these organizations will undoubtedly continue significant contributions to the effort.

Penny Pines and Plant-a-Tree Programs

The Forest Service Penny Pines and Plant-a-Tree Programs also contribute to tree planting efforts on national forest lands in California through donations made by individuals and organizations. The Penny Pines Program was initiated in California in 1941 under the sponsorship of the San Francisco Sportswomen's Association. In succeeding years, school children of the San Mateo County Schools made the first contribution used to plant trees on the Shasta-Trinity National Forests in northern California. Over the years, the number of the groups participating in the Penny Pines Program has continued to grow.

This statewide conservation program is supported by numerous individuals and organizations including garden clubs, women's clubs, men's service organizations, youth groups and schools that have all cooperated to help keep California's forests green and growing. Over the years these groups have contributed more than a million dollars to the Penny Pines Program, resulting in more than 27 million seedlings planted and renewing 88,000 acres of national forest land in California.

Plant-a-Tree is a special program that allows people to donate money towards planting trees on national forest lands as living memorials for those they have lost or to commemorate a special occasion. The trees are planted on general forest land and are not designated on the ground as a memorial, but are planted for multiple use purposes. These charitable contributions help fulfill people's wishes while helping sustain and enhance the health of our national forests. This program contributed to more than 1 million trees planted in 2009.

National Forest Foundation, Carbon Capital Fund Demonstration Projects

The Forest Service is working with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) to demonstrate the role of forest carbon sequestration in addressing climate change and two demonstration sites have been installed in California. The NFF's Carbon Capital Fund initiative provides an opportunity for individuals and organizations to invest in Forest Service reforestation projects that sequester additional carbon. Donations to the Carbon Capital Fund are used to replant areas on national forests that have been damaged by wildfire and other natural disturbances.

Two demonstration projects were planted in 2009, one on the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California and one on the Plumas National Forest in Northern California. The projects made contributions to larger reforestation efforts in areas burned in 2007 by the Butler II Fire on the San Bernardino and by the Moonlight Fire on the Plumas National Forest. Current status: Competing vegetation is being removed from around the planted trees to help ensure survival and growth. Tree survival will be monitored in the fall of 2009.

Forestry's role in the emerging carbon market continues to be explored and debated. The partnership with the NFF will help address some uncertainties of forest carbon offset projects and advance an understanding of how sustainable forest management can be included in a climate change strategy.