Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Reforestation Project

Restoring a Vanishing Habitat

In the fall of 2003, the Cedar Fire burned over 24,000 acres of the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (CRSP) with a fire so severe that conifer species experienced greater than 95% mortality. This catastrophic fire also resulted in widespread destruction of the seed bank and the cone-producing forest canopy.  As a result, only small amounts of the naturally regenerated mixed conifer forest have been observed.  Post-fire vegetation is dominated by herbs, shrubs and re-sprouting oak species and there is a possibility that without active reforestation, site conversion to shade-intolerant brush and exotic annuals could become permanent. 

The Forest Before the Fire

The Wall of Smoke

A Sugar Pine Before the Fire



The Same Sugar PIne After the Fire

In 2007, the Colorado Desert District of California State Parks initiated a mixed conifer forest restoration project to re-establish native conifer trees in CRSP.  The project consists of planting 2,530 acres of former forest lands in a series of polygons that will become centers for seed dispersal, and are expected to restore the larger conifer forest. Initial seedling densities and ongoing forest management practices are expected to reduce the future chance of catastrophic, habitat type-conversion wildfires.

Restored coniferous forest habitat in the park will provide important protected areas for a wide variety of native mammal and bird species which are experiencing strong and continuous development pressure.  Between 2002 and 2007, over 51% of the Mixed Conifer Forest in San Diego County was destroyed by wildfire.  Prior to the fire, CRSP contained around 20% of this Mixed Conifer Forest habitat.  Coniferous forest habitat is critical to forest dwelling species such as the red-breasted sapsucker, red-breasted nuthatch, and golden-crowned kinglet. 

Project activities started in fall of 2007 with planning, GIS mapping and site preparation by California State Parks and CAL FIRE employees for two pilot planting areas.  Through February of 2013, 1,200 acres have been planted with approximately 350,000 mixed conifer seedlings.  Planting takes place during January and February of each year because these months provide the weather conditions which are most favorable for seedling establishment and survival in Southern California’s arid mountainous region. 

The project uses 100% native species with a composition of species based on historical species surveys.  The overall target mix is 65% Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), 15% Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri), 8% sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), 5% incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), and 7% white fir (Abies concolor). 

The project team completes a two to three year sequence of tasks prior to planting. These tasks include seed collection, site selection, botanical, avian and archaeological surveys, seedling procurement, site preparation, seedling delivery and storage, planting, seedling protection, and monitoring.

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The Forest Returns