Welcome to the California Reforestation Toolshed
Discover Resources for Your Reforestation Projector
Not exactly sure what you’re looking for? Try our exploratory search below!
Join your reforestation-focused peers on Slack!
Did you know that there is an online space for active information exchange about reforestation in California? For up-to-date information and to join the conversation about upcoming events, projects, open positions, community-of-practice discussions, and other opportunities, please join in and contribute!
Join Us On Slack
Wednesday December 10, 2025
Leana Weissberg
📣 Another job coming your way!
Our friends at the Great Basin Institute are hiring for a Stewardship Manager to oversee contract development and administration for mechanical site prep on the Caldor, and other forest health work on the Eldorado National Forest.
While a bit outside the traditional 'reforestation' space, this is a really cool opportunity to contribute to landscape restoration - many of the acres site prepped by GBI on the Caldor will be planted by American Forests in future project phases.
If you or someone you know is interested, please share on and reach out if you have any questions!
Monday November 24, 2025
Kat Barton
:rotatinglight: Job alert! :rotatinglight:
American Forests is hiring two (2) Southern Sierra Reforestation Technicians with a start date of early March 2026!
These positions will directly increase the pace and scale of post-fire reforestation and restoration efforts across in the Southern Sierra landscape through supporting seedling planting, herbicide, surveying, and cone collection projects. As a part of the So Sierra reforestation team, they will work with federal, state, tribal, private and non-profit partners through cross-boundary, climate-informed reforestation projects.🌲
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to build their career in forestry and natural resources while implementing innovative forest health and post-fire recovery projects.
These positions are being hired through a partnership with Great Basin Institute. The full position description and link to apply can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g2rPQKmD
Friday November 21, 2025
Ruby Beauchamp
If you're attending the Understory, don't miss the chance to visit the LA Moran Reforestation. CAL FIRE is hosting a tour on December 2nd at 1:00pm. Click HERE to register for the tour!
Peer-Reviewed Publications
A horizon scan to inform research priorities on post-wildfire forest restoration and recovery in the western United States
This peer-reviewed publication used a standardized expert-elicitation process to identify key topics for post-fire forest restoration and recovery in the near future. The study identified 12 topics as the most urgent and with the greatest potential impact.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
A post-fire reforestation assessment and prioritization tool for the Western United States
This paper discusses how Regenmapper, a decision support tool, can assist in assessing and prioritizing post-fire reforestation efforts, particularly in response to challenges such as drought, climate change, and wildfires.
Frameworks and Manuals
Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for California Forest Ecosystems
This workbook offers land managers a menu of adaptation strategies, offering flexible, yet tangible, options for considering climate change when managing California's forests. It reflects the context of the state's forests and is informed by a synthesis of California forest adaptation literature. It is intended to be used within the Adaptation Workbook, which presents a five-step framework to incorporate effects of climate change on forests into planning, decision-making, and implementation.
Programs
California Emergency Forest Restoration Teams
In response to the 2021 Dixie, Tamarack, and Caldor fires, three emergency forest restoration teams (EFRTs) were formed to rapidly assist private landowners in restoring their forests' health. Today, 15 EFRT programs work across the state to provide no-cost post-disturbance technical assistance to landowners, including mechanical site preparation, reforestation, and post-planting maintenance.
Programs
California Forest Improvement Program
The CA Forest Improvement Program provides technical and cost-share assistance forest landowners who want to improve the health of their land and resources. Assistance is available to public and privately owned parcels from 20 - 5,000 acres in size, for reforestation and stand improvement activities.
Decision-Support Tools
California Seed Bank Assessment of Need App
This app provides users with a spatial summary of cone bushels needed in each seed zone to meet the state of California's reforestation goals. Statistics for each seed zone reflect collection priority, recent disturbances, and the need or surplus for each speciees.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States
This peer-reviewed publication imagines a scenario where by 2040, 26 million hectares of natural and agricultural lands are reforested with 30 billion trees at a cost of $33 billion USD. Through this example, the authors evaluate the ecological and operational challenges today that would stand in the way of acheiving that imagined future.
Frameworks and Manuals
Climate Change and Forests of the Future: Managing in the Face of Uncertainty
Climate change threatens the health of forests, but land managers must make decisions today without knowing exactly what the future will look like. This framework helps land managers make the best decisions possible in the face of uncertainty, detailing a varierty of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that managers could take and emphasizing the importance of reversible and incremental actions.
Decision-Support Tools
Climate-Adapted Seed Tool (CAST)
Trees are experiencing higher mortality and lower growth rates as climate change affects their native ranges. Many land managers are interested in assisted migration as a solution. This decision-support tool helps land managers identify potential seed sources by comparing the current climate of a tree's natural range to the projected future climate (under RCP 8.5) of the user's desired planting site. Users can view data on the potential productivity of six conifer species from now until 2080.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for bigcone mixed conifer forests in the montane region of southern California
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for mixed conifer forests in northern inland California
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for mixed conifer forests in the central & southern Sierra Nevada
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for mixed conifer forests in the montane region of southern California
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for mixed conifer forests in the southern Cascades & northern Sierra Nevada
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.
Factsheets and Briefs
Climate-informed reforestation guidance for red fir forests in northern inland California
The CA Climate-Informed Reforestation Guidance Booklets provide regionally specific recommendations for site preparation, planting, and post-planting management actions that can help establish forests resilient to climate change and wildfires. Booklets are available for four regions of CA and three major forest types each.