In spring 2025, planting crews combed the Shasta-Trinity National Forest looking for specific spots: locations where fallen logs or rock outcrops cast shade. On scorched mountainsides, freshly planted seedlings rarely survive the first critical summers without this microclimate protection. More than a million such microsites have been planted by teams on Mount Shasta's north slope since 2024, now totaling 1.47 million young pines across 2,769 acres of charred earth. The 2021 Lava Fire had devastated over 10,000 hectares of forest here. What has emerged since in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest is the region's largest reforestation project—and a test case for whether targeted reforestation after megafires can work.
June 2021: The Fire Consumes Mount Shasta's Northern Slopes
On June 25, 2021, the Lava Fire erupted near the town of Weed in Northern California. Within weeks, it consumed 26,409 acres (approximately 10,700 hectares) of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest along Mount Shasta's northern slopes. Twenty-three structures were destroyed, including 14 homes. By September 3, 2021, the fire was fully contained.
The real challenge began after. High-intensity fires don't simply leave empty spaces to recover. Where the fire burned hottest, few trees survived to scatter seeds and trigger natural regeneration. Large sections of the burn area lacked enough surviving trees to recover on their own.
Salvage Logging and Mechanized Site Preparation
Before any planting could begin, the terrain needed preparation. Forest contractors removed dead and weakened trees through salvage logging. Heavy equipment called masticators then chipped back-growing brush and small woody debris. This two-step intervention created conditions where planting crews could work and seedlings could survive.
Three Planting Seasons, 1.47 Million Trees
Since 2024, crews of 10 to 15 people have planted seedlings during the spring season (March to May) across the burn. On 2,769 acres in just over three planting seasons, 1.47 million trees have been set, according to TV station KDRV in Medford, Oregon, which documented the project on-site. The selected species are Ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine, both adapted to dry mountain slopes and resistant to drought and pests.
Planting teams use microsite planting: rather than distributing seedlings evenly, planters deliberately seek locations where fallen logs, rock outcrops, or terrain depressions offer natural protection. These spots hold more moisture, receive less direct sunlight, and buffer wind. According to the U.S. Forest Service, this difference determines whether a seedling survives the first critical years. Many trees are now around 12 inches tall and already provide habitat for wildlife, protect water catchments, and sequester carbon.
In Comparison: The Scale of Reforestation Backlog in the United States
The Lava Fire project is not alone. In 2025, the U.S. Forest Service reforested 285,000 acres nationwide, the highest figure in 25 years, according to agency reports. For comparison, the Camp Fire of 2018 in the Paradise area north of Sacramento burned 153,000 acres. Reforestation of that area is also underway, but the backlog is enormous.
Across Forest Service lands, more than four million acres await active reforestation. Over the past decade, according to the agency itself, only six percent of post-fire reforestation needs have been addressed. One cause is the bottleneck in seed production: the Lucky Peak Nursery in Boise, Idaho, one of only six Forest Service tree nurseries, produces between two and six million trees on 60 acres. To meet demand, nurseries would need to double production or more.
The Outstanding Bill: Four Million Acres Awaiting Trees
Progress on Mount Shasta is real. And it makes the gap between ambition and reality visible. The REPLANT Act of 2021 created the legal framework for faster reforestation. But laws alone don't fill nurseries.
Climate change compounds the challenge: higher temperatures and longer droughts lower the survival odds of newly planted seedlings. On Mount Shasta, planting crews in 2024 and 2025 deliberately selected Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine varieties suited to warmer, drier sites. This species selection is part of an approach called proactive climate adaptation, where trees are planted not for today's climate but for the climate 50 to 80 years from now. Whether this approach succeeds will be systematically evaluated by the Forest Service through long-term monitoring at sites like Mount Shasta.