Placer RCD staff and private landowner surveying landscape after the Mosquito Fire.
The Placer Resource Conservation District was awarded $5 million by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to reforest over 800 acres of private property damaged in the Mosquito Fire. The Mosquito Fire was California’s largest wildfire in 2022 and burned 76,788 acres in Placer and El Dorado Counties.
Reforestation of private property in the Mosquito Fire is key to restoring forest health, watershed benefits, timber production, carbon sequestration, and critical habitat in Placer County. With financial support from One Tree Planted and in partnership with Sierra Pacific Industries, the RCD will oversee the planting of over 200,000 seedlings before spring of 2029. Placer RCD will also partner with the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other agencies to maximize the benefits of reforestation across boundaries.
“This critical funding will allow Placer RCD to dedicate adequate resources and technical staff to tackle the challenge of post-fire reforestation,” says Allison Erny, Forestry Project Manager at the Placer RCD. “We look forward to working with private landowners and contractors to restore ecosystem benefits in rural Placer County.”
CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program funds active restoration and reforestation activities aimed at providing for more resilient and sustained forests to ensure future existence of forests in California while also mitigating climate change, protecting communities from fire risk, strengthening rural economies and improving California’s water & air.