High-severity wildfires have burned 2.3 million acres of California forestland over the past quarter century so completely that trees are unlikely to return on their own, according to a working draft of the state’s new reforestation strategy obtained by CalMatters. Climate change and more than a century of overzealous fire suppression are fueling fires so severe they wipe out forests faster than agencies can replant them.
The Reforestation Gap and California Seed Shortages
California is counting on its forests to store carbon, protect water supplies, clean the air, and shelter wildlife. However, a recent analysis reports that half of California’s forest area could be gone by 2071. Private landowners rely heavily on seeds—some over a half-century old—to reforest wildfire-destroyed property. According to Cal Fire, the state would need to increase its seed bank capacity by roughly 300% just to replant a quarter of privately owned forestlands.
Finding seeds remains a major chokepoint. “We are trying to meet the demand that’s in front of us, and it’s crushing,” said Malcolm McMorrow, who created a tree-climbing program for Cal Fire. Programs like Cone Camp—led by American Forests with support from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service—train professionals and laypeople to shoot lines into tree canopies and check pine cones for ripeness and viability.
Did you know? Replanting burned forests can cost up to $6,400 an acre. To meet the state’s post-fire replanting goals starting at 280,000 acres per year by 2030, California would need to scale up reforestation by 35% annually, requiring significant dedicated funding.
Federal Workforce Decline and National Forest Challenges
Federal land accounts for more than half of California’s forests and most of the acreage requiring replanting. Yet timber harvests that once funded U.S. Forest Service replanting declined amid new endangered species protections and surging severe wildfires. From 1998 to 2015, non-fire staff managing National Forest System lands dropped by 39%, according to a 2015 report.
Although Congress and the Biden administration unstoppered additional money for a reforestation trust fund in 2021, leading to 285,000 acres replanted nationwide, federal work remains lengthy and intense. Solomon Dobrowski, a professor of landscape ecology at the University of Montana, noted that the reforestation gap spans millions of acres across the West and is likely to multiply. Compounding the issue, the Trump administration cut the Forest Service significantly, causing the agency to lose 20% of its staff.
“Morale is down, capacity already was really minimal,” said Hugh Safford, a forest and fire ecologist with the UC Davis Environmental Science and Policy Department and a former regional ecologist for the Forest Service. Safford’s study reports that the U.S. Forest Service replanted just 1.2% of its California lands denuded by wildfire between 2016 and 2023 when factoring in wilderness areas and naturally regrowing zones.
New State Strategy and Funding Hurdles
The draft state strategy obtained by CalMatters outlines plans to streamline planning, prioritize human safety and ecosystem issues, and increase the supply of seeds, seedlings, and workers. Patrick Wright, wildfire task force director, noted the goal is to align every agency trying to replant scorched forests. The strategy advises replanting at lower densities and with natural spacing to prevent high-severity fires linked to closely-packed “pines in lines” grids.
State land managers have replanted roughly 254,000 acres of severely burned forest since 2020—about 16% of the area stripped by high-severity fires between 2020 and 2024, and just 8% on federal lands outside wilderness. Moran Reforestation Center in Davis, the facility faces financial hurdles. Scaling up and upgrading the nursery carries a $26.2 million price tag, though this year’s state budget included only about $1.2 million for preliminary planning.
Pro Tip for Landowners
Private landowners engaging in post-wildfire reforestation should coordinate with local Cal Fire grant programs early to secure native seed stock, as specialized conifer seedlings can take up to two years to grow from harvested cones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are California forests not regrowing naturally after wildfires?
Climate change and decades of fire suppression have fueled megafires that burn so intensely they destroy the forests that need fire to thrive, preventing natural regeneration across millions of acres.
How much does it cost to replant burned forestland in California?
Reforestation costs can reach up to $6,400 per acre, requiring massive funding increases to bridge the gap between burned acreage and current replanting capacity.
What is Cone Camp?
Cone Camp is an annual training session led by American Forests with support from Cal Fire and the Forest Service, where participants learn how to survey, shoot lines into canopies, and collect pine cones for state seed banks.
Explore More: Stay informed on California environmental policy and wildfire recovery efforts. Subscribe to our newsletter or leave a comment below to join the discussion on the future of our state’s forestlands.
Keep reading