Reforestation after the Fountain Fire in Northern California: An Untold Success Story

Forest fires have been burning “hot” across the United States and particularly in the West in recent years. So, too, will the debate on postfire management strategies. In this article, we present a successful reforestation project after a catastrophic fire in 1992. Sixteen years later, most lands are covered with vigorous young forest stands. These regenerated stands have sequestered a large amount of atmospheric carbon, although still not to the level of previous stands. Furthermore, these managed stands will provide wood to consumers and support the local economy in the future. In contrast, adjacent lands without reforestation are fully occupied with shrubs and a few hardwood tree species, going through a long process of natural succession. We conclude that in this particular case active reforestation is the most effective method to quickly restore forest cover.