DAVIS, CALIFORNIA — Severe wildfires are destroying California forests faster than land managers can restore them, leaving millions of acres vulnerable to permanent conversion into brush and scrub.
A draft reforestation plan estimates that since 2000, high-severity fires have removed 2.3 million acres of forest in areas where natural regrowth is unlikely without help. If current trends continue, researchers say California could lose up to half its forest area by 2071.
Since 2020, state and federal agencies have replanted about 254,000 acres, which is only around 16% of what was lost to severe fires in that period. Federal agencies, which manage over half of California’s forests, have been even slower to replant.
To meet its goal of restoring 280,000 acres per year starting in 2030, California would have to boost reforestation efforts by about 35%. The cost per project can reach $6,400 per acre, which adds another layer of difficulty.
Seed shortages are also a problem. Cal Fire says its seed-bank capacity would need to grow by about 300% just to replant a quarter of the damaged private forests. Right now, the Davis reforestation center holds around 42,000 pounds of seeds.
The draft strategy suggests increasing seed collection, expanding nurseries, and growing the forestry workforce. It also recommends planting trees at lower densities to help them survive future fires.
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