Reforestation is a complex, multi-year process involving a sequence of seed collection, site preparation, planting, and seedling maintenance. Proper planning and implementation of these time-sensitive steps are required to ensure long-term seedling success and avoid costly follow-up treatments.
Background
After a timber harvest, wildfire, or other disturbance, adequate and timely regeneration of trees ensures that site will grow back into a forest. In some cases, natural regeneration from seeds dropped by nearby trees is sufficient to repopulate the site. In other cases, artificial regeneration (planting seedlings) is necessary, especially in large areas where all the trees have died or were removed. Reforestation can quickly reestablish tree seedlings on a site where natural regeneration is insufficient as well as influence desired tree species composition, density, and arrangement.
Reforestation is critical to restore the growing backlog of California's fire-damaged forests. Without timely reforestation, competing vegetation can quickly convert former forestland into shrub fields that persist for decades and are more likely to reburn at high severity.
Recommended practices for artificial reforestation have been well established through 50 years of concentrated effort to improve reforestation success and reduce costs under the difficult conditions present in most of California. While natural regeneration continues to be an important part of forestry, results are less predictable and only applicable under specific situations. There are five key principles to successful reforestation:
- Plant species from known, appropriate seed sources.
- Use quality seedlings.
- Control competing vegetation.
- Properly handle, transport, store, and plant seedlings.
- Protect plantings from damage by animal and insect pests, competing vegetation, and competition between trees.
To successfully reforest an area, planning should begin before a timber harvest or 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 identify the 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. Reforestation without proper planning and implementation of each time-critical reforestation step will result in a waste of money, time, and valuable conifer seed.
California Reforestation Manual
The Forest Vegetation Management Conference and UC ANR have published the manual “Reforestation Practices for Conifers in California", available for free online. This manual provides landowners and managers with a comprehensive guide for getting sustainable forests back onto California's diverse landscapes. This resource represents significant advancements since the last reforestation manual for California was published in 1971. The 16 co-authors of the 2026 edition 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 lands in the state. Funding for the preparation of this book was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the US Forest Service, the Forest Vegetation Management Conference, and private donors.
| 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 twelve 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 UC ANR.
ReCONEissance Story Map and Survey123 app - Prepared by UC ANR, CAL FIRE, US Forest Service, 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.
More Resources
Cone and Seed Harvesting
Cone Collection Workshop Vocabulary
California Tree Seed Zones
Cone Seed Insects
Cone Crop Survey Form
Cone Cutting Test
Seedling Availability
How to Obtain Seedlings in CA- NRCS
UCCE Forest Factsheet Planting Guide
Selection of Nursery stock, Dorus Van Goidsenhoven, CAL FIRE, 2017 Workshop
Reforestation Basics, Mark Egbert, El Dorado County Resource Conservation District, 2018 Workshop
Oak Restoration
McCreary 2009 Regenerating Rangeland Oaks in California
Kraetsch 2002 Oak Restoration in Walnut Creek
Anderson 2010 Procedures for Planting Fully Sheltered Acorns
Harris 2013 Placer County Conservation Plan Oak Woodland Restoration Potential
Harris 2013 Placer County Conservation Plan Appendix
Reforestation Pests
Diseases of Conifer Regeneration, Tom Smith, CAL FIRE, 2018 Workshop
Diseases of Conifer Regeneration, Beverly Bulaon, US Forest Service R5
Reforestation after Disaster
Forest Mortality and Regeneration - Life After Death, Dr. Jodi Axelson/Susie Kocher, UC Berkeley, 2017 Workshop
Tree Mortality in the Sierra Nevada, Susie Kocher, UC Cooperative Extension, 2018 Workshop
Reforestation at the Landscape Scale Involving Multiple Landowners, Richard Harris, NorCal SAF, 2018 Workshop
Tree Hazard Awareness for Forest Workers, Brian Mattos, CAL FIRE, 2018 Workshop
Controlling Seedling & Resprouting Brush, Guy Anderson, CAL FIRE, 2018 Workshop
Funding
California Forest Improvement Program, Zsolt Katay, CAL FIRE
CAL FIRE's California Forest Improvement Program , Mary Huggins, CAL FIRE, 2018 Workshop
NRCS Forestry Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Chris Zimney, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2018 Workshop
Procuring Plant Materials, Conifer Cone Surveys- Teri Griffis, 2014
CALFIRE Cone Surveys and Collection Certification- Teri Griffis, 2014.
Reforestation Practices: Rebuilding Forests- Joe Sherlock, 2014.
CALFIRE Partnership Promotes Native Plant Restoration- Rich Marovich, 2014.
Climate Change Implications for Reforestation- Dr. Mark Schwartz, 2014.
Post-Wildfire Reforestation on Public Lands- Ryan Tompkins, 2014.
Reforesting Private Forestlands in California's Mediterranean Climate- Bob Rynearson, 2014.
Cuyamaca Reforestation Project: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park- Lisa Gonzalez Kramer, 2014.
Post-Fire Forest Regeneration in CA Mixed Conifer Forests- Hugh Safford, 2014.
Oak Woodland Restoration- Where, Why, What, How, and Costs- Richard Harris, 2014.
Regenerating Aspen- Kevin Krasnow, 2014.
Riparian Restoration- Richard Harris, 2014.
Woodland Restoration on Putah Creek- Rich Marovich, 2014.
Reforestation Funding- Joe Sherlock, 2014.
The CA Forest Improvement Program: CFIP- Christopher Zimney, 2014.
NRCS Reforestation Funding: The Farm Bill and EQIP- Stephen Smith, 2014.