The amount of existing and emerging information about reforestation and post-fire response in California can be overwhelming. To help resource managers and private landowners efficiently find, review, and select the most appropriate resource for their needs, we assembled the following categories of reforestation resources. Though not comprehensive, these resources may be a useful starting place for post-fire response efforts.
NOTE: If you know of any reforestation resources relevant to California’s natural and working lands that are not on this list, please contact Jennifer Smith.
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Forest regeneration after disturbance (PostCRPTool)
Purpose: Predict post-fire conifer regeneration potential to help managers prioritize locations for restoration.
Format: Input fire perimeter files and RnDBR (relative differenced normalized burn ratio). Outputs are taxon-specific map and histograms of predicted regeneration probability within fire perimeter under 2 scenarios (low seed and precipitation, high seed and precipitation, mean).
Geographic Area: Primarily Sierra Nevada and northeastern California
Intended users: Resource managers
Post-fire Restoration Prioritization Tool (PReP Tool)
Purpose: Guide and prioritize post-fire restoration efforts in shrublands
Format: Input requires spatial data clipped to the targeted fire. Output includes a map with scores of regeneration capacity based on fire history, drought, and nonnative grasses
Geographic Area: Chaparral shrublands in southern CA
Intended users: USFS resource managers
Climate-wise Reforestation Toolkit
Purpose: Identify reforestation locations, explore conditions after the 2012 – 2016 drought from plot data, and provide guidance on BMPs.
Format: Select scenario parameters; output is an interactive map reflecting prioritization calculations
Geographic Area: SNV National Forests
Intended users: Resource managers
Purpose: Identify where within a fire footprint tree planting may be the most (and least) effective at increasing tree seedling density, independent of post-fire weather and assuming a uniform management approach.
Format: User inputs fire severity raster, fire/focal area perimeter
Geographic Area: Yellow pine mixed conifer forests in the Sierra Nevada
Intended users: Resource managers
Purpose: Identify seed sources (from seed bank inventory data) that are pre-adapted to local climate conditions at a planting site.
Format: Input planting site seed zone and elevation range. Output is seed zone sources and the associated %DP from each zone (strength of the match between planting site and zone source). %DP is the percent decline in tree volume or biomass expected from planting a seed source that is not well adapted to the climate it will grow in.
Geographic Area: CA, OR, WA, ID, NV
Intended users: Resource managers
Purpose: Match seedlots with planting sites based on climatic information and under different future climatic scenarios
Format: Input location, region and climate scenarios. Output is a layer indicate the degree of match between the past climate the seedlot is adapted to and the climate of the time period in which the trees are expected to be best adapted to the planting site.
Geographic Area: North America
Intended users: Resource managers
Purpose: Interactive map of seed zone data
Format: Selection of geographical area of interest reveals data on seed zone and climate data
Geographic Area: Nationwide
Intended users: Resource managers
Purpose: Provide county-level estimates of the potential area of new forests (acres) and how much carbon those acres could store
Format: Interactive map that provides data
Geographic Area: Nationwide
Intended users: All landowners
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Growth and spatial patterns of natural regeneration in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests with a restored fire regime
Authors: Hannah M. Fertel, Malcolm P. North, Andrew M. Latimer, Jan Ng
Key topics: regeneration, plant spacing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120270
Operational resilience in western US frequent-fire forests
Authors: Malcolm P. North, Ryan E. Tompkins, Alexis A. Bernal, Brandon M. Collins, Scott L. Stephens, Robert A. York
Key topics: stand densities
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.120004
Tamm Review: Reforestation for resilience in dry western U.S. forests
Authors: Malcolm P. North, Jens T. Stevens, David F. Greene, Michelle Coppoletta, Eric E. Knapp, Andrew M. Latimer, Christina M. Restaino, Ryan E. Tompkins, Kevin R. Welch, Rob A. York, Derek J.N. Young, Jodi N. Axelson, Tom N. Buckley, Becky L. Estes, Rachel N. Hager, Jonathan W. Long, Marc D. Meyer, Steven M. Ostoja, Hugh D. Safford, Kristen L. Shive, Carmen L. Tubbesing, Heather Vice, Dana Walsh, Chhaya M. Werner, Peter Wyrsch
Key topics: regeneration, plant spacing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.09.007
Authors:Paul F. Hessburg, Thomas A. Spies, David A. Perry, Carl N. Skinner, Alan H. Taylor, Peter M. Brown, Scott L. Stephens, Andrew J. Larson, Derek J. Churchill, Nicholas A. Povak, Peter H. Singleton, Brenda McComb, William J. Zielinski, Brandon M. Collins, R. Brion Salter, John J. Keane, Jerry F. Franklin, Greg Riegel
Key topics: management strategies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.01.034
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Postfire restoration framework for national forests in California
Authors: M.D. Meyer, J.W. Long, H.D. Safford
Key topics: project planning
Reforestation practices for conifers in California
Editor: W. Stewart
Key topics: project planning, site prep, vegetation mgmt., regeneration
Recovering from Wildfire: A Guide for California's Forest Landowners
Authors: K. Shive, S. Kocher
Key topics: project planning, site prep, vegetation mgmt., regeneration
Authors: P. Stine, S. Ostoja, S. McMorrow
Key topics: vegetation mgmt., planting, regeneration
Authors: C. Swanston, M. Janowiak, L. Brandt, P. Butler, S. Handler, P. D. Shannon, A. Lewis, K. Hall, R. Fahey, L. Scott, A. Kerber, J. Miesbauer, L. Darling, L. Parker, and M. St. Pierre
Key topics: climate adaptation strategies (R-R-T)
Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for California Forest Ecosystems
Authors: C. Swanston, L. Brandt, P. Butler-Leopold, K. Hall, S. Handler, M. Janowiak, K. Merriam, M. Meyer, N. Molinari, K. Schmitt, P. D. Shannon, J. Smith, A. Wuenschel, and S. Ostoja
Key topics: climate adaptation strategies
Climate Change and Forests of the Future: Managing in the Face of Uncertainty
Authors: C. Millar, N. Stephenson, S. Stephens
Key topics: climate adaptation strategies (R-R-R)
Authors: C. Nunamaker, Y. Valachovic
Key topics: regeneration
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What to Replant After the Trees Die
Authors: S. Kocher
Key topics: replanting
Prioritizing planting effort and heterogeneity in reforestation
Authors: J. Williams
Key topics: regeneration, plant spacing
Authors: G. Bohlman
Key topics: site preparation and maintenance
Authors: M. Coppoletta
Key topics: natural regeneration
Private landowners in California face loss and choose to reforest after high-severity wildfire
Authors: S. Kocher
Key topics: landowner outreach
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California Forest Improvement Program
Host: CALFIRE
Target audience: private and public owners of 20 - 50,000 acres
Function: Provides cost-share assistance for development and implementation of a Forest Management Plan
Purpose: Encourage private and public investment in, and improved management of, California forest lands and resources
Host: UC Cooperative Extension
Target audience: private forest landowners
Function: Provides technical information and assistance to landowners to promote sound forest management, and assists communities in solving forest-related issues.
Purpose: Encourage good stewardship of California's private forestland
Host: Feather River RCD
Target audience: private landowners in Plumas County
Function: Provides no-cost technical assistance for landowners regarding fire recovery, erosion control, fuels reduction, timber stand improvement and other resource interests and concerns.
Purpose: Increase the pace and scale of wildfire and other recovery and repair
Emergency Forest Restoration Program
Host: USDA Farm Service Agency
Target audience: private forest landowners
Function: Provide payment for restoring forested land damaged by a natural disaster.
Purpose: Encourage landowners to protect natural resources and wildlife habitats
North Bay Forest Improvement Program
Host: After the Fire USA
Target audience: private non-industrial forest landowners or managers of 5 - 500 acres
Function: Provide incentives for private non-industrial landowners to implement non-commercial forest improvement activities
Purpose: Provide public funds to support private investment in forest health and resilience projects to reduce vegetative fuel loads and risks of wildfire, insect infestation, and disease epidemics on private properties in the North Bay’s diverse and valuable forestlands
Environmental Quality Incentive Program
Host: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Target audience: Owners or lessee of cropland, rangeland, pastureland, or non-industrial private forestland
Function: Provide non-industrial forest managers with financial resources and one-on-one help to plan and implement conservation practices
Purpose: Provide financial and technical assistance to non-industrial forest managers to address natural resource concerns and deliver environmental benefits
This work is supported by the USGS Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE).