Reforestation | Forestry Research and Outreach

Achieving successful reforestation is critical to restore the growing backlog of California's fire damaged forests. Without artificial reforestation, forest regeneration into mature, fire-resilient structures is likely to be significantly delayed or even fail. Recommended practices for artificial reforestation have been well established through a 50 years of concentrated effort to improve reforestation success and reduce costs under the difficult conditions present in most of California. While natural reforestation continues to be an important part of forestry, results are less predictable and only applicable under specific situations.

Reforestation is a complex, multi-year process involving a sequence of seed collection, soil preparation, planting, and seedling maintenance. Because reforestation in California's climate depends on natural precipitation and not costly irrigation systems, proper planning and implementation of these time-sensitive steps are required.

To successfully reforest an area, planning should begin as soon as stand mortality occurs. Careful evaluation of each site and availability of locally adapted native seeds must be identified. If seeds are available, then foresters can prescribe treatments for the site and the identify quantity of seedlings of each species needed. Over the next two years, the forester may then plan and implement site preparation, plant nursery grown seedlings, and arrange follow-up treatments as needed. Careful control of competing vegetation results in the retention of sufficient soil moisture for excellent seedling survival rates, even on very dry sites during prolonged droughts, when high quality, locally adapted native seedlings are planted properly. Reforestation without proper planning and implementation of each time-critical reforestation step will result in a waste of money, time, and valuable conifer seed.

In 2026, the Forest Vegetation Management Conference and UCANR will be releasing the first printing of the California Reforestation Manual - “Reforestation Practices for Conifers in California". This manual presents a planning process, with a detailed explanation of the options at each step to provide landowners and managers with the why, where, who, when, what, and how of getting sustainable forests back into California's diverse landscape. This resource represents significant advancements since the last reforestation manual for California was published in 1971. The 16 co-authors of this new book present the best practices gleaned from their combined experience of planting over 100 million conifer seedlings on hundreds of thousands of acres of public and private land in the state. Funding for the preparation of this book was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Vegetation Management Conference, and private donors.

California Reforestation Manual

Chapter 1	Reforesting California Herb Baldwin, William Stewart, Sari Sommarstrom
Chapter 2	Investing in Reforestation William Stewart, Richard Standiford, Susie Kocher, Jeff Webster
Chapter 3	Planning a Reforestation Project Jeff Webster, Ed Fredrickson, Bob Rynearson
Chapter 4	Site Assessment Jeff Webster, Ed Fredrickson, Bob Rynearson
Chapter 5	Seeds Teri Griffis, Laurie Lippitt
Chapter 6	Seedlings Thomas Jopson, Mark Gray
Chapter 7	Site Preparation Mark Gray, Jeff Webster
Chapter 8	Vegetation Management Ed Fredrickson, Mark Gray
Chapter 9	Planting Bob Rynearson
Chapter 10	Precommercial Thinning in CA Forests Martin Ritchie, John-Pascal Berrill
Chapter 11	Damage Don Owen, Greg Giusti
Chapter 12	Reforestation of Area Burned by Large Wildfires Mark Gray

Reforestation Tools

California Reforestation Toolshed - Resource hub aggregating reforestation literature and tools including 12 new California Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance booklets. These booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests that are resilient to climate change and wildfires. The Toolshed was collaboratively developed by the USDA California Climate Hub, CAL FIRE, American Forests, the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and UCANR.

ReCONEissaiance Story Map and Survey123 app prepared by UCANR, CAL FIRE, USFS, and American Forests through the Reforestation Pipeline Partnership Cooperative. Private landowners and the public are requested to support local reforestation efforts by conducting cone surveys in your area. Each year, regional seed needs are determined based on current availability for each species in each seed zone and elevation. Click on each species below to identify seed needs in your region.

Our agency and private partners need your help to support their cone monitoring efforts. Download the cone monitoring app HERE.

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