PROJECT REPORT CALIFORNIA 2023 TAHOE FIRES RESTORATION
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Dear friend, Thanks to your support, a total of 20,000 trees were planted to restore 200 acres (81 hectares) of land in California. Planting trees in areas that have been deforested can help to accelerate the reestablishment of healthy forests. Reforestation benefits not only the surrounding ecosystem and the biodiversity it supports, but local communities as well. None of this would be possible without you. On behalf of everyone at One Tree Planted, thank you! What follows is a report outlining the project you supported in California. I hope you enjoy reading it and truly feel the impact you have made.
OVERVIEW
The objective of the California 2023 - Tahoe Fires Restoration project was to reestablish trees in areas devastated by wildfires, in which regeneration was not occurring naturally (via germination of seed from nearby trees). A variety of conifer species were planted to restore the diversity of these pine forests, which, in addition to wildfire, have been impacted by white pine blister rust (a fungal disease). Increasing tree diversity will enable forests in the project areas to better withstand and recover from future threats, and will increase the abundance of critical habitat for wildlife.
TREES PLANTED 20,000
TREE SPECIES PLANTED 5
FAMILIES BENEFITED 5
HECTARES REFORESTED 81
WOMEN INVOLVED 400 YOUTH INVOLVED 600 VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED 1145
ACRES REFORESTED 200 WILDLIFE SPECIES BENEFITED 290+ PEOPLE BENEFITED FROM TRAINING 1145
TREE SPECIES PLANTED One of the goals of this project was to help restore white pine species to Tahoe Basin forests. Throughout the region, white pines, such as sugar pine and western white pine, have been decimated by a non-native invasive fungus that causes white pine blister rust. Complementing the white pines, the additional native species planted will enhance the diversity and resilience of these future mixed-conifer forests.
SPECIES PLANTED THROUGH THIS PROJECT Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) Western white pine (Pinus monticola) Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) White fir (Abies concolor)
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF ONE TREE PLANTED AND THEIR DONORS. WITH YOUR HELP, WE HAVE REFORESTED FIRE-SCARRED LANDSCAPES THAT WOULD LIKELY BECOME BRUSHFIELDS OR SO-CALLED ZOMBIE FORESTS DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL SUCCESSION AFTER DISTURBANCES.
YOUR IMPACT ON THE MAP The California 2023 - Tahoe Fires Restoration project included plantings on both private and U.S. Forest Service lands within the Tamarack and Caldor fire scars — and other locations near Lake Tahoe in California.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE IMPACT Over the last several decades, wildfires have devastated many forests in the western United States. Environmental conditions exacerbated by climate change, such as drought, hotter temperatures, and pest and disease outbreaks, have contributed to the increasing number and severity of wildfires throughout the region. Catastrophic wildfires, like many of those now occurring in the west, induce widespread tree mortality that results in reduced biodiversity and extensive habitat loss for wildlife, including many threatened and endangered species. In addition to habitat loss, large-scale tree mortality can cause a cascade of negative events that further compromise the integrity of local ecosystems. Severely burned forestland is vulnerable to soil erosion that can significantly impair soil and water quality and contribute to floods and mudslides that endanger both life and property. In addition to the ecological impacts, wildfires often result in substantial harm to rural communities. The physical damage sustained by wildfires can be significant; loss of life and property, often not covered by insurance, creates immediate hardship. Additionally, the economies of many rural communities are dependent on natural resources. Severely damaged forestlands cannot support the economic activity such communities rely on for jobs and revenue. In the aftermath of a wildfire disaster, people who lack adequate resources face many challenges to recovery. Reforestation is a critical first step to restoring forested ecosystems and rural communities impacted by wildfire. The reforestation you have supported is essential to restoring the ecological integrity of project sites and surrounding forest ecosystems, as well as the hope that local communities need to rebuild following wildfire disasters.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT Reforestation for enhancing forest and watershed health in California Over the last several decades, a variety of ecological threats and a complex pattern of land ownership have resulted in significant declines in forest health throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Basin is characterized by significant Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The U.S. Forest Service defines the Wildland Urban Interface as “the area where houses meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation.” Due to this intermingling, wildfires caused by human activities are common in WUI areas and both ecological and property damage following wildfire is often severe. Further exacerbated by climate change, wildfires and pest and disease outbreaks have devastated local forests and communities. Maintaining healthy, diverse forests is critical to protecting water quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe supports a robust tourist economy dependent on its beautiful, clean blue water — with more than three million recreational visitors per year. The Basin also provides drinking water for a significant number of local communities, including Reno, Nevada. Healthy, well managed forests reduce erosion, sedimentation, and run-off pollution that can lead to impaired water quality in surface waters like Lake Tahoe. The Lake Tahoe Basin supports a diverse range of natural communities. Forests, grasslands, wetlands and surface waters provide habitat for more than 290 species of wildlife and 1,100 species of plants, approximately 20% of which are threatened or endangered — such as the Sierra red fox, Lahontan cutthroat trout and mountain beaver. Despite its essential ecological, recreational and public health value, water quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin has deteriorated over the last several decades. Efforts to restore integral components of the watershed, such as reforesting areas damaged by wildfire, are critical to protecting and improving water quality in the Basin. Since 2019, with the help of donors like you, One Tree Planted has helped our partners plant more than 65,000 trees throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada. These plantings are restoring tree diversity and associated ecological benefits, such as improved wildlife habitat and soil and water quality. They also support the many ecosystem services forests provide, such as flood and erosion control and carbon sequestration.
DOCUMENTING YOUR IMPACT Through authentic and informative storytelling, we help donors relate to the people who plant their trees and to the impact they're making for the planet. We share photos, videos, and updates from our global projects across our social media, website, and other media to create a personal connection to the incredible work happening on the ground.
PHOTOS FROM YOUR PROJECT
MY FAVORITE ACTIVITY ON OUR SCHOOL FIELD TRIP WAS PLANTING TREES. THE CALDOR FIRE WAS SO SCARY! MY FAMILY HAD TO EVACUATE FOR 3 WEEKS AND WE WEREN'T SURE IF OUR HOUSE WOULD BE THERE WHEN WE CAME BACK. I WANT TO HELP GROW MORE TREES BECAUSE OF THE FIRE.
BIODIVERSITY BENEFITS Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth at all levels, from genes to ecosystems, and all of the processes that sustain life. Mixed conifer forests dominate the Lake Tahoe Basin. These forests often adjoin shrub, emergent wetland, fen, and riparian communities. Together, these natural communities support a significant degree of biodiversity. Reforestation projects like this one benefit the health and resilience of the Basin’s coniferous forests and associated natural communities, thereby protecting the biodiversity they support.
3 VEGETATION ZONES: MONTANE, UPPER MONTANE AND SUBALPINE
COMMUNITY
BENEFITS
The 56,000+ residents of the Lake Tahoe community will benefit from the longterm ecological, recreational and economic values that Lake Tahoe Basin forests provide. Healthy forests protect the water quality in the Basin, upon which drinking water supplies and the robust recreational and tourist economies of the area depend. These economies are a critical source of jobs for local communities. Throughout the project, community members of all ages, races, income levels and physical abilities participated in on-the-ground forest stewardship activities. Educating and involving community members in maintaining the health, diversity and beauty of local forests can help sustain support for protecting sensitive natural resources and local economies now and in the future.
U.N. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS THIS PROJECT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
WHAT ARE SDGS? Sustainable development entails seeking out solutions that not only boost the economic outcomes of developing and poorer nations, but also work to limit (or eliminate) our impact on the planet. Trees are one such solution. From creating jobs and reducing hunger to improving gender equality, cleaning air and water, absorbing carbon, protecting life on land and water, and more, planting trees can address all 17 sustainable development goals.
“This reforestation project will help to restore California’s iconic mixed conifer forests. Increasing tree diversity through planting in the project areas will enhance the resilience of the surrounding forest, helping to ensure that associated ecological, social and economic benefits are preserved for generations to come.”
Brittney Burke Projects Director North America