CAL FIRE awards Sierra Pacific industries $3M for post-fire forest restoration

7 December 2022

Published by: https://www.actionnewsnow.com

USA – SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) was awarded a $3 million grant from CAL FIRE for tree seedling production in California.

The grants will help SPI’s investment in a $10 million nursery construction and operation project in Siskiyou County. 

“CAL FIRE is very pleased to be partnering with Sierra Pacific Industries to expand tree nursery production in California, especially now when reforestation is so critical for the future of our conifer forests,” said Stewart McMorrow, Staff Chief of Wildfire Resilience at CAL FIRE. “This nursery will add much-needed capacity and jobs and will serve to further our combined efforts to restore forest cover on private and public lands. We are thankful that Sierra Pacific Industries can make this a reality.“

The project comes after wildfires burned millions of acres in California’s forests in recent years.

The funding will help SPI to start the nursery project faster and help with reforestation needs in post-fire recovery efforts. 

The nursery will help with the need for seedling production, which is set to ramp up with six million seedlings projected in 2024. 

In 2025, SPI says there will be 12 million seedlings and is expected to be fully operational by 2026. 

The project will be able to produce 25 million seedlings every year, according to SPI. It will also create 10 full-time jobs and up to 110 seasonal jobs in Siskiyou County.

“Healthy, growing forests provide clean water and air, important wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and jobs for rural economies,” said Jessica Hinojosa, SPI Tree Improvement Manager. “SPI is making this investment to help meet our State’s growing needs for high-quality, native conifer seedlings.”