Volunteers sought for tree planting on east side of San Francisco Peaks
Coconino
National Forest silviculturists and partner organization Ecoculture
will begin planting trees north of Flagstaff next month in the San
Francisco Peaks area and are looking for volunteers to help in the
efforts.
Roughly 3,000 acres of
planted trees were lost over the course of the 2022 Tunnel and Pipeline
fires. Those trees had been recently replanted to aid in the recovery of
the 2010 Schultz Fire.
Upcoming replanting
efforts will plant approximately 40,000 native ponderosa pine trees
across 200 acres of Coconino National Forest land in the vicinity of
Schultz Pass Road on the east side of the San Francisco Peaks.
“This planting is
significant not only because of the visual aesthetics and cultural
importance of the San Francisco Peaks, but also because it can help
reforest areas that burned uncharacteristically hot and may not
naturally regenerate for more than one hundred years,” said
silviculturist Mark Nabel. “These planted trees will help reduce soil
erosion and improve wildlife habitat while also restoring some of the
timber base that was lost in these recent fires.”
Ecoculture will be hosting community volunteer planting events from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. August 9 and 16. Volunteers will plant ponderosa pine seedlings (roughly 5-12" in height) using planting
shovels, which will be provided. The planting area is about 11 acres and
is generally flat. The parking area is roughly 300 feet (0.1 miles)
from the planting site.
Planting will begin around 9 a.m. after a brief
planting demonstration is given. Volunteers are free to come and go as you
please. There will be staff members available to give instructions if
you arrive later in the day. The goal for the day is to plant 2,000
trees. There will be plenty of volunteers so there will be no need to
rush putting the trees in the ground. Our goal is to provide a great
opportunity for the public to give back to their public lands and be
safe while doing so.
What to bring:
-Water
-Sunscreen
-Sturdy footwear (no sandals please)
-Rain gear
-Work gloves
-Hat
-Snacks (if you get hungry)
