Massive seedling planting effort aimed at reforestation of burn scars on Lincoln National Forest

• The Little Bear Project is a partnership with American Forests while the Scott Able Project is in partnership with the Plant-A-Tree Foundation

Staff of the Lincoln National Forest completed two reforestation projects over the past few weeks

 On the Smokey Bear District, 100 acres near Loma Grande that were burned in the 2012 Little Bear Fire were planted with Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and Southwestern white pine. On the Sacramento District, 100 acres near Harris Canyon that burned during the 2000 Scott Able Fire were planted with Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir and white fir seedlings.

Nearly 41,000 seedlings were planted with shade shelters that will remain in place for two years. The shelters are designed to provide a better micro-climate and protection from browsers while the seedlings get established, according to a release from the U.S. Forest Service. The nursery stock was grown in a Forest Service nursery in Idaho from seed collected on the forest.

The projects are part of the national Forest Management Reforestation Partnerships program. For decades, the financial support from external parties through this program has enhanced the agency’s ability to reforest and restore landscapes across the United States.

The purpose of this program is to allow individuals or groups to contribute funds voluntarily directly to the Forest Service for tree planting on national forests to help improve the environment. Currently the Forest Service has national agreements in place with American Forests, Arbor Day Foundation, National Garden Clubs, the National Forest Foundation, Plant-A-Tree Batesville, and the American Chestnut Foundation.

The Little Bear Project is a partnership with American Forests while the Scott Able Project is in partnership with the Plant-A-Tree Foundation.

This is the second year of the reforestation program on the Lincoln. Last year, trees were planted at South Fork Campground on the Rio Bonito and at Sleepy Grass Campground near Cloudcroft. Forest service staff anticipates continuing the partnership-based reforestation projects to plant many more trees on accessible, non-wilderness lands deforested by severe wildfires and insects.

For more information, contact Craig Wilcox, Forest Restoration Program Manager at 575-434-7241.