San Bernardino National Forest: Post–Fire Reforestation

672,000 acres | Located in southwestern California

The San Bernardino National Forest receives more visitors than either Yellowstone or Yosemite national parks. Outdoor enthusiasts can explore the over 500 miles of trails found in the forest. This unique forest offers a diverse climate where a cactus can be found with snow capped mountains in the distance. Big Bear Lake is a popular recreational stop for visitors. Two endangered species call this forest home, the mountain yellow–legged frog and the peninsular bighorn sheep.

Need for Trees

The planting area was severely burned by a two recent wildfires. The Old Fire and Grand Prix Fire burned over 90,000 acres in 2003. These fires burned so intense that nothing was left and there is no hope for natural regeneration to begin on its own. The area will be planted mostly with Jeffrey pine and some Sugar pine. Jeffrey Pine is native to the west coast, thrives in comparatively harsh environments, is tolerant of drought and competes well and typically dominates other conifers on cold, xeric, and infertile sites.

Planting and Impact

For this project, 150,000 pines will be planted on 500 acres in March 2007. This planting project will restore vegetation patterns on the landscape to provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species as well as reducing the brush competition.

About the Pledge