April 26, 2022 - CLOVIS, CA – The Bass Lake Ranger District is set to begin its 2022 reforestation program. During the next two months, contract crews will be planting approximately 1,200 acres focusing on areas of the 2014 French/2020 Creek Fires. Approximately 200 to 260 seedlings per acre will be planted, totaling up to 250,000 seedlings on the district during this period. Openings will be planted with a mixture of ponderosa pine, incense cedar and sugar pine trees.
Foothill residents in the North Fork/Oakhurst/Mariposa area are welcome to participate in the spring planting program by planting ponderosa pine seedlings on their property. The Bass Lake Ranger District North Fork office has bare root one-year old ponderosa pine seedlings available for adoption. These seedlings are excess to the district reforestation program this year. Persons wishing to adopt seedlings may obtain 5 to 20 at a time from the Sierra National Forest’s Bass Lake Ranger District office in North Fork, California.
To minimize moisture and heat stress, seedlings should be kept cool and transported in an ice chest with the roots covered with a moist towel and planted the same day, when possible. Instructions on how to plant the seedlings will be included during your pickup. These seedlings are meant to be planted on private property. Go Green! Plant a seedling today!
Seedlings are grown from seed picked a number of years in advance by the Forest Service and stored at Forest Service nurseries. In order to accomplish large reforestation objectives, seedlings are ordered one to two years in advance of planting. Trees being planted were grown at the Placerville nursery. The blister rust resistant sugar pine being planted is grown as one-year old containerized stock. These seedlings are grown in tubes measuring about 1” by 6” in green houses.
The Bass Lake Ranger District office in North Fork at 57003 Road 225 in North Fork, CA, is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M.
For more information on seedling adoption, please contact the North Fork office at 559-877-2218.
Source & photo credit: U.S. Forest Service - Sierra National Forest
