Spring 2020 ForestLife

Rising from the ashes: restoration at Yosemite

PFT’S HOLDINGS ON THE BORDER OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, BURNED BY THE FERGUSON FIRE, WILL SOON BE TEEMING WITH NEW GROWTH—READ ABOUT OUR WORK TO RESTORE THIS LANDSCAPE

PFT’s properties near Yosemite overlook the Wild and Scenic south fork of the Merced River

Did you know that PFT owns almost 1,000 acres adjacent to Yosemite National Park? These lands were part of John Muir’s original conception of the Park, but lobbying interests of the time—namely, the Yosemite Timber Company—prevented them from being added to the Park itself. Lying just west of state Highway 41 at Yosemite West on the Henness Ridge, these lands have commanding views south to the Wild and Scenic Merced River, west to the Central Valley, and north into the main Yosemite Valley. The ridge itself is a key deer migration corridor and the site of a traditional native American trail.

Dotted with springs and meadows as well as magnificent forests, PFT acquired this land sixteen years ago in order to prevent more development and protect and buffer Yosemite National Park.

Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and the deadly Ferguson Fire. Henness Ridge was chosen as a key fire line to stop the fire from entering Yosemite West (see the President’s Letter in the Summer 2018 issue of Forest Life). A significant portion of our property burned; we are now in the process of restoring almost 500 acres.

Fire is a natural feature of these landscapes, and is essential for renewal and regrowth

With funding from the California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a unit of the US Department of Agriculture, we began this work in 2019, removing dangerous snags, thinning in overstocked areas, and improving access and other conditions for reforestation.

Thanks to the support of One Tree Planted, we have 125,000 seedlings that are ready to be planted in the upcoming months. 2020 is the year we will help this forest rise from the ashes by reforesting and restoring it to a well-spaced, diverse, and resilient natural forest.

The Ferguson Fire burned through almost half of our properties on Henness Ridge. In the spring of 2020, we will plant a diverse mix of 125,000 native seedlings