The camp that’s training a new generation of cone collectors

Welcome to Cone Camp, a place where forestry professionals gain the skills needed for reforestation from California’s conifer seed experts. This year, six Cone Camps across the Golden State brought people together for tree-climbing demonstrations, cone-surveying practice in the field and more — all with the goal of growing the knowledge needed for reforestation.

The state of the seed

American Forests introduced Seed September in 2022 as a month to raise awareness of the scarcity of one of our most important small resources. Two years later, this much is still true: we need seeds and trees more than ever before.

Restoring a future for our forests through the REPLANT Act 

In the year since we announced our REPLANT partnership with the Forest Service, we’ve been hard at work. American Forests has been meeting with each of the nine Forest Service regions across the country to help them plan what they need to grow their restoration programs over the next decade.

American Forests is awarded $10.6M from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to restore Caldor Fire-affected watersheds

The Reforestation and Restoration of Caldor-Fire Affected Watersheds project will restore thousands of acres in the Caldor Fire-affected South Fork American and Cosumnes River watersheds; this effort will be led by American Forests, American Rivers, and the Colfax Todd's Valley Consolidated Tribe, in collaboration with the Eldorado National Forest and in coordination with regional partners.

New greenhouse seeds hope for Montana’s reforestation effort

Partnership between American Forests and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is helping grow 239,000 seedlings annually.

Restoration science in action

Direct seeding technique opens up great possibilities for whitebark pine restoration on three national parks.

For California couple, trees are a “gift” and a motivation for change

In the wake of personal wildfire experiences, California couple makes effort to do their part to protect the environment and the “gift” of trees.

Rebuilding forest resilience in a fire-ravaged landscape

South central Oregon is pioneering a strategy for bolstering forest resilience to wildfire and climate change.

American Forests applauds Forest Service’s amendments to facilitate landscape-scale flexibilities to conserve and steward old growth forests

For too long, irreplaceable old growth forests have lacked a consistent and adaptable policy to support their conservation and management, but today’s announcement by the USDA Forest Service offers a needed new course.

New interagency partnership to prevent and address wildfire effects

American Forests commends the administration for its approach to wildfire risk reduction and landscape resilience.

Reforesting a scorched California landscape for the climate of tomorrow

Collecting cones in California’s Eldorado National Forest drives climate-smart reforestation.

A tale of two burns

How catastrophic wildfires 70 years apart defined Oregon’s history and changed the face of forest management.

An equine lifeline brings hope to a fire-scarred watershed

Two women and a band of horses bring watershed restoration to fruition after Colorado’s devastating 416 Fire.

How one California community is reforesting after fire

A California community comes together to reforest after wildfire.

The United States of Fire

WHEN THE CREEK FIRE roared to life near Shaver Lake, Calif., last September, it chewed through the area’s overgrown, sickly

The United States of Fire

We must make friends with fire, or be consumed by it. By Allison Guy Laura Spellman, a “hot shot” firefighter,

Earthkeepers: A bond forged in fire: Brittany and Gilbert Dyer

When the Dyers got married, they knew that climate change would transform their lives. Just not like this. Credit: Kate

Replanting Paradise

The endeavor to grow forests that can take on the future impacts of climate change

Replanting Paradise

The endeavor to grow forests that can take on the future impacts of climate change By Austin Rempel Wolfy Rougle,

Place-Based Partnerships: American Forests and Intel Commit to King Fire Restoration

American Forests partners with Intel to restore California forests destroyed by wildfire.

Place-Based Partnerships: American Forests and Intel Commit to King Fire Restoration

An intense wildfire ripped through this canyon in California, killing all the trees and leaving behind patches of barren land.

Reforest America

By Jad Daley and Eric Sprague Credit: Michael Woestehoff. PICK UP A NEWSPAPER OR GO ONLINE, and you are likely

Reforest America

Learn how climate change is threatening our forests and how American Forests ambitiously plans to reforest those disturbed landscapes across the country.

Offshoots: A Burning Question for Our Forests

By Jad Daley Regrowth occurring in a fire-scarred area on the Sierra National Forest following the 2015 Willow Fire. Credit:

Washington Outlook: Urging Congress to Protect Our Forests

ON CAPITOL HILL, spring is about more than cherry blossoms. It’s when Congress begins the critical process of budgeting and

American Forests Works to Save California’s Forests

A look at American Forests' climate-informed restoration work throughout California.

American Forests Works to Save California’s Forests

California’s Phoenix

How the MacNab cypress has a rare opportunity to thrive in fire-stricken California.

California’s Phoenix

Can Iconic Cypress Species Rise from the Ashes?By Matt Krupnick Dozens of MacNab cypress trees were killed on a ridge

California, Catalyzed

Years of catastrophic wildfires have brought California to the brink — so how are its people responding?

California, Catalyzed

By Doyle Irvin A 7-year- old California native plants seedlings in the midst of a fire scare in the Sierra

Earthkeepers: Making Forests Green Again

How Dana Walsh has devoted her career in the U.S. Forest Service to restoring fire-stricken forests, particularly in the Sierra Nevada.

Earthkeepers: Making Forests Green Again

By Liz Harper Walsh in the Stumpy Meadows area of the King Fire overlooking the Rubicon Canyon, where areas had

Project Showcase: Out of the Ashes

By Liz Harper ReLeaf has had a visible impact on areas like this hillside on the Hubert Eaton Scout Reservation

Jason George on Fighting Fires

Read our other interviews with Jason George on his connection to nature and diversity in entertainment.  George plays a firefighter

25th Annual SAG Awards® Partners with American Forests to Enhance and Restore the Environment Through the Planting of 25,000 Trees

Los Angeles, CA (January 23, 2019) – The Screen Actors Guild Awards®, as part of its commitment to sustainable practices,

Forest Digest: January 6, 2019

Access to national parks, forests limited after government shutdown – KOMO NEWS The ongoing government shutdown has resulted in limited

A Tale of Two Trees and a Wildfire

By Liz Harper, American Forests When a wildfire ignited north of Durango, Colorado on June 1, it was just one more

American Forests Responds: California Wildfires

About the California Wildfires Two massive wildfires burn at opposite ends of California. Both fires started on November 8, 2018.

Forest Digest: November 18, 2018

Check out what’s going on in forest and environmental news this week! New Study Reveals Natural Solutions Can Reduce Global

Forest Digest: October 21, 2018

Check out this week’s forest and environmental news! Nature returns: When dams come down, fish come back — Medium The

Forest Digest: October 14, 2018

Check out this week’s roundup of forest and environmental news! Is climate change making hurricanes worse? — The Guardian Closely

Forest Digest: September 23, 2018

Recently discovered African bird already facing extinction due to forest destruction – The Independent Willard’s sooty boubou was recently confirmed

Forest Digest: August 26, 2018

Planting a mix of tree species ‘could double’ forest carbon storage – CarbonBrief In addition to creating more efficient carbon

Forest Digest: August 19, 2018

Trump says blazes ‘not a global warming thing’ – E&E News Recent comments from the administration may deny the connection

Forest Digest: August 12, 2018

Check out what’s happened this week in forest news! Diverse groups unite in support of reauthorization of federal conservation fund

Forest Digest: August 5, 2018

Calif.’s climate money is helping feds manage wildfires – E&E News In an attempt to reduce wildfire risks and reduce

Forest Digest: July 29, 2018

The fires ravaging parts of Europe show our forest policies are failing – Climate Home News With recent forest fires in

Forest Digest: July 8, 2018

Climate Change Is Making It Harder to Revive Damaged Land – Mother Jones  Due to changing climate, reviving damaged land has

Firewatch: A Walk Through a Video Game Forest

By Nick Del Giudice, American Forests Credit: Campo Santo Studios Sunsets, gorgeous trees and solitude are all key elements to a good hike. In

Of Owls and Salamanders

By Betsy L. Howell Land still showing effects from the Las Conchas Fire three years later. Credit: Mark Watson, New

Forest Digest: May 13, 2018

Check out what’s happened this week in the world of forestry! Hawaii pledges to become carbon neutral by 2045—the most

The Importance of Forest Policy Coalitions

By Rebecca Turner, Senior Director of Programs and Policy Rebecca Turner, senior director of programs and policy, meets with coalition

American Forests Responds: Fire Suppression Funding Fix in the 2018 Omnibus

The inclusion of a legislative fix to the fire suppression funding process in the FY 2018 Omnibus appropriations bill is

Forest Digest: March 18, 2018

Check out what’s happened this week in forestry news! The National Forests Of The Future Need To Be In Cities

American Forests Responds: President’s FY19 Budget Cuts Forest Resources

If enacted, the Administration’s FY 2019 budget proposal would have a significant negative impact on the health and resiliency of

Action Center: Fire Funding Fix

2017 Whittier Fire in California. Credit: Glenn Beltz THIS FIRE SEASON has only amplified the need for Congress to pass

Forest Digest: January 21, 2018

Check out what’s happened this week in forestry news! Credit: Francois Kehas-Dewaghe/Los Padres ForestWatch Peru’s Newest National Park Safeguards 2

Forest Digest: January 7, 2018

See what’s happened this past week in the world of forestry! Does wildfire create home sweet home for bees? –

American Forests Urges Congress to Fix Fire Funding

On Dec. 13, 2017, American Forests, The Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation sent a letter to Congressional leadership

Forest Digest: December 17, 2017

Credit: Jón Helgi Jónsson Find out what’s happened this past week in the world of forestry! Why Wildfires Have Gotten

Forest Digest: November 26, 2017

Find out what’s happened this past week in the world of forestry! As Wildfires Raged, the Forest Service was Capturing

Forest Digest: October 29, 2017

Credit: Ervins Strauhamanis Find out what’s happened this past week in the world of forestry! Regreening the Planet Could Cut

Forest Digest: Week of October 2, 2017

Credit: Lip Kee, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Find out the latest in forest news! In a Body Farm for

“Partnering for Forests”: A Look at Our Latest Publication

By Alex Toglia, American Forests American Forests, along with partners American Forest Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation, National Association of State

Forest Digest: Week of September 11, 2017

A cotton-topped tamarin. Find out the latest in forest news! US-Costa Rica Debt-for-Nature Swap Will Provide $1M for Forest Conservation

Sowing the Seeds of Resilience

Credit: Wikimedia Commons By Allie Wisniewski, American Forests This is part of an 11-blog series on our work with Alcoa

Forest Digest: Week of August 14, 2017

Find out the latest in Forest News! Credit: Craig Nacy California scientists push to create massive climate-research programme — Nature

A bright future for Kirtland’s warbler in the Northern Great Lakes

By Justin Hynicka, Manager of Forest Conservation I have a love-hate relationship with red-eye flights. On one hand, they maximize

A Century of Too Much Love in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

By Justin Hynicka, Manager of Forest Conservation The Sierra Nevada Mountains, which rise abruptly from California’s populous Central Valley and

Restoring Colorado’s Green Tunnel

By Lindsay Seventko, American Forests View from Highway 149. Credit: David via Flickr. The Silver Thread Scenic Byway runs through dense

Home for the Holidays: The Gopher Tortoise and Longleaf Pines

By Doyle Irvin, American Forests Have you ever been on a subway car that was so packed that you felt

Remembering Fallen Champion Trees

By Joe Duckworth, American Forests Fallen Champion Pacific madrone. We all love big trees. We love them so much at

The Fire’s Edge

How people feel the heat of a wildfire’s threat to their homes and livelihoods, and the tale of those trying to fight it.

The Important Relationship between Forests and Fire

By Shandra Furtado, Communications Intern When done in small doses, controlled burns can be beneficial to forest growth. Credit: André Bessa

Earth Month 2016: The Elements of Forests

By Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Communications Intern Credit: Chuck Fazio, our artist-in-Residence. There are four elements believed by many cultures to be

American Forests Partners with Verizon, NFL to Make Super Bowl 50 “Green”

By Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Communications Intern Chips Forest fire scar. American Forests is excited to announce a partnership with the National

Wildfires Extend Beyond the Wild in Bastrop, Tex.

By Amelia Loeb, Communications Intern Taken Sept. 5, 2011 in Bastrop, TX of the Bastrop Complex Fire. Credit: Michael Rose

Forest Digest – Week of November 16, 2015

Bosco Verticale building in Milan. Credit: Alessandro Bonvini via Flickr. Find out the latest in forestry news in this week’s

Forest Digest – Week of November 2, 2015

Find out the latest in forestry news in this week’s Forest Digest! Oldest Tree In The U.K. Is Changing Its

Forest Digest – Week of October 26, 2015

Find out the latest in forestry news in this week’s Forest Digest! Sumatran orangutan. Credit: Schristia/Flickr. Indonesia’s forest fires threaten

Forest Digest – Week of October 12, 2015

Mangroves. Credit: Senorhorst Jahnsen (rabanito)/Flickr. Find out the latest in forestry news in this week’s Forest Digest! Why Restoring Nature

Land of the Brave

How conservation efforts on Army land support a symbiotic relationship between forests and soldiers By Amanda Price Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield. Credit: U.S.

Forest Digest – Week of September 21, 2015

Find out the latest in forestry news in this week’s Forest Digest! Why Partnerships for Forests are Critical to Achieving

Forest Digest – Week of August 17, 2015

Grand Circus Park in Detroit, Mich. Credit: Mike Russell Get some perspective on what’s happening with our forests with this

Forest Digest – Week of August 10, 2015

This week’s forest digest has the trends for wildfires and China’s environmental future. Air pollution has become a crisis in

How Wildfires Are Burning through the U.S. Forest Service Budget

By David May, Communications Intern A report released by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) earlier this month has revealed a

Forest Digest – Week of July 20, 2015

Portland street trees. Credit: City of Portland, Oregon Bureau of Environmental Services Keeping a pulse on forest news around the

American Forests Policy Interns Reflect on Hill Day Experience

Policy Interns, Sarah Davidson and Conrad Kabbaz, participated in the Hill Day for the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. Here are

The Mountain Pine Beetle’s March across Canada

David May, Communications Intern Part 1 of the 3-part series Insects and Our Forests. Read part 2 here and part 3 here. Since

The Waiting Game

Black Ridge ReLeaf, 20 Years Later By Sydney Mucha The forest at black ridge in 1997. Photo credit: John T.

Forest Digest – Week of June 22, 2015

See Australia’s plans for Urban Forests and stay informed on California’s wildfires in this week’s Forest Digest! Cal Fire, California’s

Forest Digest — Week of June 15, 2015

Your latest Forest Digest, with everything from wildfires to woodpeckers! The San Bernardino National Forest has not had a significant

GR25: Replanting after the Hayman Fire

As many in the western U.S. begin to brace themselves for the upcoming fire season, we are reminded of a

Forest Digest — Week of June 1, 2015

It’s June’s first Forest Digest and we’ve got quite the line-up! How Europe’s climate policies led to more U.S. trees

American Forests’ Partnership with Lightstream® Reforests 250 Acres

ATLANTA – June 4, 2015 – Forests across the country are receiving some much-needed help, thanks to a bank that

Policy Update: Fire Suppression Funding Legislation

American Forests, as part of the Partner Caucus on Fire Suppression Funding Solutions, urges Congress to find a lasting solution

Forest Digest — Week of May 11, 2015

The weekend is here, but before you settle in for some R&R, take a look at this Friday’s Forest Digest.

Forest Digest — Week of May 4, 2015

The first week of May has been an eventful — and troublesome — one in the world of forests. Take

Five years later, new report outlines successes and challenges of CFLR program

Deanne Buckman, Policy Intern I think it is safe to say that, to some degree, all Americans utilize the invaluable

Home sweet home: sugar pine restoration in Tahoe

By Sydney Mucha, Communications Intern Tahoe National Forest is home to one of California’s most complex and diverse ecosystems. The

Smokey Turns 70

By Kathiann M. Kowalski Smokey Bear ads in 1944, 1979 and 2011. Credit: Ad Council A NEW SMOKEY Seventy years

Farm Bill’s Stewardship Contracting

By John-Miguel Dalbey Stewardship program in an Arizona National Forest. Credit: Kaibab National Forest President Obama’s signing of the Farm

The True Cost of Forest Fires

By Marcelene Sutter A firefighter combats a dangerous blaze in the Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest in August,

Congress Increases Funding to Fight Wildfires in Legislation to Reopen the Federal Government

The Rim Fire at Yosemite National Park, as viewed from Highway 108. Credit: Bodey Marcoccia Last week, at both the

Fighting Fire with Fire

By Marcelene Sutter The Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest in California, which killed patches of forests thousands of

Divided and Disappearing

It’s well known that when habitat becomes fragmented, wildlife suffers. But now, a study more than two decades in the

H.R. 1526: Limiting Judicial Review of Forest Management

Logging truck in the middle of Rogue River National Forest. Diamond Lake Highway, near Crater Lake, Ore. Credit: Terry MacVey

Charred Forests, Melting Snow

Credit: fortherock/Flickr You know how when it’s really hot out, you’re better off leaving the black shirt in the closet

A Sand-filled Anniversary

By Lizzie Wasilewska Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Credit: sfgamchick/Flickr Today is the anniversary of one of the

Aspen in a Changing World

The adaptable aspen lives across the globe, from snowy high-elevation forests to dry deserts. But can this circumglobal super species

To Save a Tree

by Cathleen Cherry On June 18, the Doce Fire broke out in Prescott National Forest, Ariz., consuming more than 6,700

The Politics of Fighting Fire

The Rim Fire at night from 35,000 feet in the air. Credit: Ty Carson Last Wednesday, I traveled to San

From Fire to Flooding

By Michelle Werts Smoke plume for the Waldo Canyon Fire. Credit: Beverly/Flickr Sometimes, certain regions of the country just can’t

Fire in the Rockies

By Michelle Werts The 153rd Airlift Wing from Cheyenne, Wyo., use a modular air firefighting system-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft in

Birthday Bear Hugs

Smokey Bear is turning 69 today, and I have reason to believe it may his best birthday party yet. Why?

A Burning Alaska

Cloudy Alaskan wilderness Credit: Daniel Hoherd Since it seems the media only highlights the forest fires that take place in

Are Beetles Fanning Western Wildfires?

By Michelle Werts Pilots and crewmembers of the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade,

Beyond the Call of Duty

Along with the rest of the nation, the American Forests family mourns the loss of the brave members of the

Fire in the Wildland-Urban Interface

Credit: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region/Flickr There remains a constant tension between the ecological benefits provided by periodic wildfire and the

Fire Season Off to Hot Start

On the West Coast, the forest fire season has started early this year due to a dry winter and spring.

Leif Haugen, Fire Lookout

By Tom Persinger Tent and Haugen’s lookout. Photo: Tom Persinger The old tent creaks and buckles under the force of

A Tale of Two Mountains: Part One

By Michelle Werts It’s called the Land of Enchantment. From mountains to desert, from national forests to historic monuments, New

Wanted: Wildfire

By Michelle Werts Black-backed woodpecker. Credit: Mike Laycock/National Park Service Wildfires are one of the most prolific forces affecting our

Tree News

By Tacy Lambiase Over the past week, we’ve been tracking several interesting stories related to forests and trees around the

Working Together Creates Results

A few years ago, American Forests started working on a program that we believed would benefit wildfire-threatened forests and their

Fire on the Horizon

By Michelle Werts Earlier this month at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, scientists presented new projections about

Strengthening Reforestation in Cuyamaca

By Gerry Gray, Ph.D., Senior Vice President Loose Leaf welcomes American Forests Senior Vice President Gerry Grey to our writing

Last-Minute Action in Congress

Credit: ttarasiuk/Flickr November elections are only a few months away and members of Congress have already left Capitol Hill to

The Future of Fire

Dumping water onto wildfire flames in Larimer County, CO. Credit: The National Guard As summer winds down and we head

Going Up In FLAMEs

Credit: The National Guard/ Flickr The western U.S. is experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record with blazes

Wildfire Orphans

By Michelle Werts During wildfire season, oftentimes, our attention is drawn to the big stories: The evacuation of up to

Fire in the West – Part 2

This month is part two of the brief overview of the history of the U.S. Forest Service’s fire policy. In

Preparing for Wildfire

By Michelle Werts A firefighter wets down area in front of private home in an effort to retard the advance

Happy Birthday, Smokey!

By Michelle Werts Today, one of the most famous bears in the country celebrates his 68th birthday. The U.S. Forest

Changing Wildfire Policy for a Changing Climate

I’ve mentioned in a previous post that fire is a natural part of a forest’s life cycle that helps replenish

Fire in the West – Part 1

British Columbia smokerjumper. Credit: August Gregg (August G)/Flickr Last week I had the tremendous opportunity to travel to Wyoming and

Restoring Forests to Help Prevent Wildfire

Nebraska National Guard crewmembers of Company C 2nd-135th General Support Aviation Battalion dump water from a Bambi bucket onto flames

The Flames of Change

By Katrina Marland View of the Waldo Canyon fire from Garden of the Gods, a major tourist attraction in Colorado

The Many Sides of Wildfire

Wildfire has frequently been in the headlines this past week, as a megafire continues to blaze through the Southwest. Two

A History of Fire

By Katrina Marland Thanks to a particularly dry April, Arizona is kicking off the 2012 fire season with several intense

After the Flames

By Katrina Marland Post-fire habitat in the Oregon Cascades (Photo credit: US Forest Service) When you think of protecting a

Regrowing a Forest

After the worst fire season on record, groundbreaking restoration projects work to help Cuyamaca Rancho State Park flourish once again.

Where There’s Smoke…

By Katrina Marland Smoke from the 2009 Tumblebug Complex Fire in Oregon (Credit: USDA Forest Service) You don’t have to

Forest Thinning: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region/Flickr 2011 was a record year for wildfires. Extreme drought conditions

Say it Ain’t So, Smokey!

Credit: Washington Post I remember watching TV as a kid and seeing USDA Forest Service ads with Smokey Bear and

Surviving Wildfire

With millions going up in smoke to fight wildfires, ecosystems across the country are adapting to life with the threat

Fires Beware: The Oceans Have Your Number

By Michelle Werts Wildfires can be devastating. For people. For businesses. For the environment. And what’s worse is their unpredictable

Fire and BWCA: A Place Apart Follow-up

  Since Steve Bailey completed his American Forests story, “A Place Apart,” on Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) and