Restoring Florida's Forests: A Look Back at Our 2021 Planting Season

In 2021, A Living Tribute was proud to support large-scale reforestation efforts across Florida by tree planting partner One Tree Planted, helping restore longleaf pine ecosystems, rebuild wildlife habitat, and strengthen natural water systems throughout the region.

From the Apalachicola National Forest to Etoniah Creek State Forest, these projects focused on bringing back one of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems in the Southeast: the longleaf pine forest.

Together, these efforts tell the story of a planting season defined by restoration, resilience, and lasting environmental impact. Looking back, this work stands as an important part of A Living Tribute's broader mission: helping honor lives and special moments through tree plantings that create real, lasting environmental impact.

A Year of Impact in Florida

The 2021 planting season marked an important step forward in restoring degraded landscapes across Florida.

Across two major projects, more than 220,000 trees were planted and over 124 hectares of land restored, with A Living Tribute contributing a portion of trees to support these broader reforestation efforts. Both projects centered on re-establishing native longleaf pine, a foundational species that plays a vital role in supporting biodiversity, improving watershed health, and building stronger, more resilient forests. 

These efforts helped accelerate natural recovery in areas where forests had been lost or degraded, laying the groundwork for healthier ecosystems in the years ahead.

Apalachicola National Forest: Restoring a Vital Ecosystem

One of the 2021 Florida planting efforts focused on the Apalachicola region, where longleaf pine restoration in the Apalachicola National Forest helped improve both wildlife habitat and watershed health across a large area of impacted land.

This project resulted in:

• 90,750 trees planted
• 50.58 hectares restored
• Species replanted: Longleaf Pine

Apalachicola National Forest is one of Florida's most ecologically important landscapes, known for its abundant wildlife and rich network of freshwater systems. Restoring longleaf pine in this region helps rebuild habitat structure, strengthen the forest canopy, and improve the long-term health of the surrounding ecosystem.

The project also supported habitat for species such as the gopher tortoise, a keystone species whose presence helps sustain many other forms of life in the forest. As these planted areas grow, they will continue to support biodiversity while helping maintain the rivers, lakes, streams, and springs that make this region so environmentally important.

Etoniah Creek State Forest: Rebuilding a Biodiversity Hotspot

Another major Florida restoration effort in 2021 took place at Etoniah Creek State Forest in northwestern Florida, where longleaf pine reforestation helped restore one of the most species-rich plant communities outside of the tropics.

This state forest project resulted in:

• 133,000 trees planted
• 73.70 hectares restored
• Species planted: Longleaf Pine

Etoniah Creek is especially important because longleaf pine communities support an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal life. Re-establishing longleaf pine on this site helps restore the overstory, improve carbon sequestration, and create a healthier and more resilient ecosystem overall.

This work also benefits numerous wildlife species, including the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, and eastern indigo snake. In addition, restoring longleaf pine in this area helps improve the watershed connected to Etoniah Creek, supporting cleaner water and healthier freshwater habitats for local species.

Why Longleaf Pine Restoration Matters

Longleaf pine forests once covered vast areas of the southeastern United States, but much of that ecosystem has been lost over time. Restoring it is about much more than planting trees. It is about rebuilding an entire ecological system from the ground up.

Healthy longleaf pine forests can help:

• Support a remarkable range of native biodiversity
• Provide habitat for threatened and endangered species
• Improve water quality and watershed stability
• Increase resilience across vulnerable landscapes
• Sequester carbon and contribute to long-term climate benefits

As these forests mature, their impact continues to grow, creating lasting benefits for wildlife, waterways, and surrounding communities.

Supporting Florida Wildlife, Water, and Communities

The impact of reforestation in Florida extends far beyond the seedlings themselves.

These projects help restore habitat for wildlife, improve access to cleaner water, and strengthen the natural beauty of public lands that people value for hiking, birdwatching, photography, and outdoor recreation. In places like Etoniah Creek, forest restoration can also support surrounding communities by helping drive tourism and creating opportunities tied to the long-term health of the landscape.

Healthy forests support healthy communities, and the work completed during the 2021 planting season is part of that bigger picture.

Be Part of Florida's Next Chapter of Restoration

The work we supported in 2021 continues today.

A Living Tribute is currently supporting ongoing tree planting efforts in Florida's Withlacoochee State Forest, helping restore longleaf pine habitat, improve watershed health, and create a stronger, more resilient ecosystem for wildlife and local communities.

When you plant a tree in Florida, you are not just giving a meaningful gift. You are helping support the restoration of one of the state's most important natural landscapes.

🌲 Restoring Manitoba’s Boreal Forest

Interlake Wildfire Reforestation at Devils Lake

A Look Back at Forest Recovery in Canada’s Interlake Region

In the wake of devastating wildfires across Manitoba’s Interlake Region, the years following 2021 marked a critical period of restoration, resilience, and renewal.

🌲 Forest Friends 2026: Reforesting America’s Most Urgent Landscapes

Every year, A Living Tribute’s Forest Friends program supports reforestation where it’s needed most—helping restore US forests that have been impacted by wildfire, disease, drought, and environmental change.

Through Forest Friends 2026, your memorial tree gifts will help support 20+ National Forests across the United States, funding the planting of trees in landscapes that need it most—bringing new life to forests and honoring loved ones in a deeply meaningful way.

🌎 What Is Forest Friends?

Forest Friends—also known as our “Forests of Greatest Need” program—allows us to direct tree plantings toward the areas where reforestation will have the greatest impact.

Rather than designating a single tree planting location, this program supports a network of critical National Forest restoration projects, including:

• Wildfire recovery zones
• Wildlife habitat restoration areas
• Watershed protection regions
• Forests struggling with natural regeneration

This flexibility allows our planting partners to ensure that every tree planted contributes to real, measurable ecological recovery.

🌱 2026 Projects & Locations

Here are some of the key National Forests and restoration efforts planned for the year ahead:

🌄 Colorado Forest Restoration

• Pike-San Isabel National Forest – Tree Planting
• Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest – Cameron Peak Fire Recovery

These reforestation projects focus on restoring high-elevation forests impacted by wildfire and environmental stress, helping stabilize soils and protect water systems across the Rockies.

🌲 Northern Rockies & Pacific Northwest

• Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (MT) – Tree Planting 
• Idaho Panhandle National Forests (ID) – Tree Planting 
• Umpqua National Forest (OR) – Jack Fire Recovery
• Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (OR) – Restoration Tree Planting

These efforts focus heavily on post-wildfire recovery, reestablishing native species and restoring long-term forest resilience.

❄️ Alaska & Unique Restoration Projects

• Chugach National Forest (AK)
  • Resurrection Creek mining reclamation project (2026)

This project restores land impacted by historic mining—bringing forests back to landscapes that have been altered for generations.

🌳 Southern & Eastern Forest Recovery

• National Forests in Mississippi – Longleaf Pine Restoration
• Wayne National Forest (OH) – Oak-Dominated Ecosystem Enhancement & Restoration
• Mark Twain National Forest (MO) – Native Shortleaf Pine Planting
• Santa Fe National Forest (NM) – Hermits Peak / Calf Canyon Reforestation
• Gila National Forest (NM) – Black Fire & Trout Fire Recovery

These projects support large-scale reforestation and ecosystem restoration, improving biodiversity and strengthening forest health.

🐦 Great Lakes Region & Wildlife Habitat Restoration

• Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (WI) – Tree Planting
• Hiawatha National Forest (MI) – Jack Pine Planting / Habitat Work
• Huron-Manistee National Forests (MI) – Kirtland’s Warbler Habitat Restoration
• Superior National Forest (MN) – Tree Planting
• Ottawa National Forest (MI) – Wildlife Habitat Restoration

These projects are especially important for restoring critical wildlife habitat through tree stand improvement, including species like the endangered Kirtland’s warbler.

🌿 California & Western Reforestation

• Mendocino National Forest (CA) – Northshore / Upper Thomes / Tehama
  
• Sawtooth National Forest (ID) – Wildfire Recovery, Bald Mountain
• Boise National Forest (ID) – 2024 Wildfire Recovery

These projects focus on wildfire recovery and watershed protection, restoring burned forests that play a vital role in water systems and biodiversity.

🌱 The Impact of the 2026 Program

Across all projects, A Living Tribute's 2026 Forest Friends contributions will support:

• 🌲 Over 50,000 trees planted nationwide
• 🔥 Restoration of wildfire-impacted landscapes
• 🐦 Critical wildlife habitat recovery
• 💧 Protection of watersheds and ecosystems
• 🌎 Long-term carbon sequestration and climate resilience

Each memorial tree purchased contributes directly to these efforts—turning remembrance into real environmental impact.

💚 Honor a Life. Restore a Forest.

When you choose our Forest Friends memorial tree gift, you’re not just planting trees—you’re helping restore entire forests across North America.

Your tribute becomes part of something bigger:

A living legacy that grows, heals, and gives back to the planet for generations to come.

Stories From the Forest: Spring 2026 Spotlight Forests

Every honorary tree planted through A Living Tribute helps restore forests that have been impacted by wildfire, drought, storms, habitat loss, and decades of ecological change. In Spring 2026, we are proud to continue supporting a growing range of reforestation and restoration efforts across the United States and Canada.

From longleaf pine restoration in Florida to wildfire recovery in California and Oregon, each featured location tells a story of resilience, renewal, and remembrance. These are places where tree planting does more than restore a landscape — it helps protect watersheds, strengthen wildlife habitat, improve forest health, and create a living tribute that carries meaning far into the future.

Below is a closer look at some of our spotlight forests for Spring 2026.

Withlacoochee State Forest, Florida

Longleaf pine forests are one of the most iconic and ecologically important ecosystems in the southeastern United States. In Florida, they play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, improving water quality, and strengthening the land’s natural resilience to drought and fire.

At Withlacoochee State Forest, restoration efforts are focused on bringing back this fire-tolerant, drought-resistant ecosystem. The region has experienced major land-use changes dating back to the 1800s, and work is now underway to help restore it to its natural longleaf pine sandhill habitat.

This restoration supports more than forest recovery alone. It also helps protect the Withlacoochee River watershed, a critical water source for eight counties, while creating habitat for species such as gopher tortoises, Sherman’s fox squirrels, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and bobwhite quail.

For those choosing Florida State Forests for an honorary tree planting, this project offers a meaningful way to honor a loved one while helping preserve the natural legacy of Florida’s Nature Coast.

Florida’s longleaf pine forests are among the most unique and ecologically important ecosystems in North America. Through our new Florida Terrestrial Restoration project, we are proud to support new tree plantings in Withlacoochee State Forest in partnership with veritree and the Florida Forest Service.

Together, these efforts are helping restore one of Florida’s historic forest landscapes—bringing back the native longleaf pine sandhill ecosystem that once dominated much of the southeastern United States.

A Forest Landscape Shaped by History

The lands that make up Withlacoochee State Forest have undergone significant changes over the past two centuries. Beginning in the 1800s, widespread logging, agriculture, and shifting land-use practices altered large portions of the region’s natural forest structure.

Historically, these landscapes were dominated by longleaf pine forests—open, sunlit ecosystems maintained by natural fire cycles. Over time, however, many of these native forests were replaced or fragmented, reducing habitat for wildlife and disrupting the ecological balance of the region.

Today, restoration efforts are working to return these landscapes to their natural longleaf pine condition, rebuilding a resilient sandhill ecosystem that can support wildlife, protect soil and water resources, and strengthen Florida’s forest heritage.

Rebuilding the Longleaf Pine Sandhill Ecosystem

The focus of this project is the re-establishment of native longleaf pine, a keystone species that defines Florida’s sandhill habitats.

Longleaf pine forests are uniquely adapted to Florida’s climate and fire ecology. Their open canopy allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, supporting a rich understory of native grasses and wildflowers that form the foundation of the sandhill ecosystem.

Restoring this forest type provides numerous ecological benefits:

• Improved watershed protection through healthier soils and natural water filtration

• Greater climate resilience, as longleaf pines are well adapted to drought, fire, and storm conditions

• Enhanced biodiversity, supporting one of the most species-rich ecosystems in North America

By planting native seedlings and managing the land to encourage natural regeneration, this project helps rebuild a forest that can thrive for generations to come.

Supporting Wildlife Across Florida’s Sandhills

Restoring longleaf pine forests creates vital habitat for many species that depend on this ecosystem.

Among the wildlife that benefit from longleaf pine restoration in Withlacoochee State Forest are:

• Gopher tortoise – A keystone species whose burrows provide shelter for hundreds of other animals

• Sherman's fox squirrel – A distinctive Florida subspecies that thrives in open pine habitats

• Red-cockaded woodpecker – A federally endangered bird that nests exclusively in mature pine forests

• Northern bobwhite – A ground-dwelling bird that relies on healthy grassland and pine ecosystems

As longleaf pine forests recover, they provide the open canopy, native groundcover, and fire-maintained habitat these species need to survive and flourish.

Visit the replanting areas on Google Earth:

Verified Memorial Trees in 2026: Expanding Our Impact Across North America

At A Living Tribute, we believe a memorial tree should be more than a symbolic gesture — it should be planted to create measurable impact, and you should be able to see that impact after the trees are in the ground. That’s why late last year we created our Evertrack Verified Memorial Trees program, working with trusted planting technology partners such as veritree to bring greater transparency, accountability, and tracking to memorial tree giving.

As we move into 2026, we’re proud to announce new and expanded Evertrack tree planting locations across the United States and Canada — giving families even more meaningful ways to honor loved ones while restoring forests in genuine need.

🌍 2025-2026 Evertrack Tree Planting Locations

California — Rim Fire Burn Area (Yosemite Region)

The Rim Fire severely impacted forests near Yosemite National Park. Through verified replanting efforts, native seedlings are helping restore damaged ecosystems, protect watersheds, and rebuild wildlife habitat in one of America’s most iconic landscapes.

Oregon — Fremont-Winema National Forest

Southern Oregon’s forests continue to recover from devastating wildfire impacts. Verified tree planting projects near Summer Lake focus on rebuilding resilient forest ecosystems, improving biodiversity, and restoring long-term forest health.

Michigan — Kirtland's Warbler Habitat Restoration

In Michigan's Roscommon State Forest Area, verified tree planting efforts are restoring harvested and degraded forest lands. These projects help ensure sustainable forest management, protect wildlife habitat, and support long-term ecological balance.

Florida — Florida State Forests, Longleaf Pine Restoration

Verified tree planting across Florida’s state forests supports the restoration of native ecosystems such as longleaf pine habitats, improves biodiversity, and strengthens environmental resilience in vulnerable landscapes.

🌿 New Verified Restoration Projects Across the Southeastern U.S.

In 2026, our memorial tree program will expand further across the US with four brand new Evertrack locations:

• Georgia

• Alabama

• Mississippi

• South Carolina

These projects focus on restoring forests impacted by severe storms, longleaf pine habitat loss, and land degradation. Through verified partnerships, these plantings support healthier ecosystems, improved soil stability, and long-term environmental recovery for the Southeast US.

More details on these new projects will be announced in our blog in the weeks and months to come.

🍁 Verified Reforestation Projects Across Canada

We’re also continuing our Verified Memorial Trees program across multiple provinces in Canada, including:

• Alberta

• British Columbia

• Ontario

• Manitoba

These projects support critical forest ecosystems that play an essential role in biodiversity, watershed protection, and global carbon storage. Verified tree planting efforts in these regions focus on restoring lands impacted by wildfire, environmental stress, and historical land use.

🌱 Supporting the Full Reforestation Process

Your memorial tree gifts, through our 2026 programs such as Evertrack and Forest Friends, supports more than just tree planting. It contributes to the full cycle of successful forest restoration, including:

• Seed collection and nursery cultivation

• Site preparation and ecological planning

• Professional planting operations

• Post-planting assessments and photography/video/mapping

• Ongoing forest stewardship and monitoring

This holistic approach ensures trees are planted responsibly — and with the highest chance of long-term survival.

💚 A Verified Legacy That Lives On

A memorial tree planted through A Living Tribute becomes a living, growing tribute — rooted in real soil, supported by real partnerships, and contributing to real restoration.

Whether planted in wildfire-impacted forests of California and Oregon, across Southeastern landscapes, or throughout the vast woodlands of Canada, your tribute becomes part of a larger, verified effort to restore forests that truly need healing.

🌲 Plant a verified living legacy

Honor a loved one. Support real reforestation. Create lasting impact.

Restoring Minnesota’s Wind Storm-Damaged Forests

Northern Minnesota’s forests have faced powerful and destructive windstorms over the past two decades.

Events known as “blowdowns”—intense straight-line windstorms similar to inland hurricanes—have flattened large areas of both the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest, leaving behind miles of toppled trees, damaged habitat, and disrupted ecosystems. One of the most severe storms in the region’s history struck the Boundary Waters area of the Superior, changing the landscape almost overnight. Other major storms, including in 2012, caused additional widespread damage across northern Minnesota forests.

These storms didn’t just knock trees down. They reshaped entire landscapes.

Why Reforestation Is So Important After Blowdown Events

When large areas of forest are lost all at once, recovery can take decades without help. That’s why reforestation efforts in these forests focus on:

• Replanting native tree species

• Restoring wildlife habitat

• Protecting water and soil health

• Reducing future wildfire risk

• Helping damaged landscapes recover naturally and sustainably

Tree by tree, these forests are being given a second chance.

Visit the Reforestation Areas

• 39.34691, -120.086677
  (Truckee sugar pine restoration)

An acre of sugar pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Truckee (a town nestled in the Tahoe National Forest) to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 39.057554, -120.120969
  (Sugar Pine Point State Park)

An acre of sugar pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Sugar Pine Point State Park to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 38.802273, -120.080917
  (Caldor Fire restoration area)

An acre of native tree seedlings have been planted in the Caldor Fire burn scar on the Eldorado National Forest to restore all majestic native species and seed in the future forest.

• 38.683460, -119.802380
  (Tamarack Fire restoration area)

An acre of native tree seedlings have been planted in the Tamarack Fire to restore all majestic native species and seed in the future forest.

• 39.231863, -120.11761
  (Kings Beach – western white pine restoration)

An acre of western white pine seedlings resistant to white pine blister rust have been planted in Kings Beach to restore this majestic native species and overall forest health.

• 39.311528, -120.406194
  (Donner Summit – western white pine restoration)

View a map of all reforestation areas on Google Maps:

The Bootleg Fire: Replanting Oregon’s Fremont–Winema National Forest

The Bootleg Fire of 2021 was one of the largest wildfires in Oregon’s history, burning nearly 400,000 acres across the Fremont–Winema National Forest. Ignited by lightning during a period of extreme drought, the fire spread through dense conifer stands, dry brush, and drought-stressed forests—creating a megafire that transformed the landscape on a massive scale.

Even after the flames were extinguished, one truth remained: this forest will need years of care, new seedlings, and committed reforestation partners to fully recover.

Where the Bootleg Fire Burned

The fire ignited near Fuego Mountain on the Chiloquin Ranger District and rapidly spread across mixed conifer forests, lodgepole pine stands, and high-country meadows. Rural communities such as Beatty, Sycan Estates, Sprague River, and Chiloquin faced evacuations as shifting winds pushed flames toward homes and ranchlands.

The burn area also overlaps with the ancestral territory of the Klamath Tribes, affecting important ecological and cultural landscapes—especially the riparian corridors that support native fish species.

Why the Fire Became a Megafire

Several conditions combined to make the Bootleg Fire one of the most significant wildfires ever recorded in Oregon:

• Severe drought and record heat dried fuels to critical levels

• Strong winds and low humidity caused rapid fire spread

• Dense, overstocked forests allowed flames to climb into the canopy

• The fire generated pyrocumulus clouds and even its own lightning

More than 2,000 personnel worked to contain it, and full containment took over a month.

What the Fire Revealed

The aftermath of the Bootleg Fire highlighted two striking contrasts across the Fremont–Winema landscape:

Treated Forests Survived Better

In areas where the Forest Service and partners had completed thinning projects or prescribed burns, the fire burned at lower severity. These pockets—often called green islands—retained mature trees and provided safer zones for firefighters, underscoring how critical adequate Forest Service funding is for keeping our forests healthy and resilient.

Untreated Forests Burned Hotter

Where fuels were heavy or drought stress was extreme, the fire created large patches of high-severity burn, killing most standing trees and leaving little natural seed source for regeneration.

The Bootleg Fire has since become a case study in how active forest management can improve resilience in a warming, drying climate.

Recovery and Reforestation on the Fremont

Restoration work began immediately after the fire:

Natural Regeneration

Areas that experienced moderate burn are already showing signs of recovery, with seedlings, shrubs, and grasses returning as surviving trees drop new seed.

Active Reforestation

High-severity zones require intentional replanting with climate-tolerant, native species such as ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine. Restoration partners are:

• Collecting local seed

• Growing millions of tree seedlings

• Replanting priority zones with limited natural regeneration

• Restoring riparian areas impacted by erosion and sediment

Long-Term Vision

Full recovery will take years, but these efforts will help stabilize soils, restore wildlife habitat, and rebuild the forest structure needed for future resilience.

Our Trees Planted on the Bootleg Fire Burn Scar

A Living Tribute is honored to support the restoration of Oregon's Klamath Falls Basin region following the Bootleg Fire.

In partnership with reforestation teams on the ground, we are planting native tree seedlings directly within the burn scar to help regenerate high-severity areas with limited natural recovery.

Our planting areas are located just west of Summer Lake and east of Yamsay Mountain, a landscape shaped by centuries of ecological change. You can explore these restoration sites in detail using the virtual map below:

Replanting New Mexico: Wildfire Tree Recovery

How reforestation gives burned landscapes a second chance to thrive

New Mexico’s forests do more than just grow trees. They protect watersheds, provide wildlife habitat, and support the mountain communities that call these landscapes home. When wildfires strike — as they inevitably will — reforestation becomes a vital act of renewal.

Across the state, land managers and restoration crews are working to help these forests recover through a combination of native tree planting, erosion control, soil stabilization, invasive species removal, and long-term forest monitoring. It’s not just about putting seedlings in the ground — it’s about helping wildfire-affected landscapes adapt, regrow, and return stronger for the next generation.

Below are several major wildfires on that have left long-lasting impacts on New Mexico's tree canopy — and the ongoing recovery efforts that are helping these forests heal.

Scott Able Fire 

In May 2000, a downed power line in Scott Able Canyon sparked a fast-moving fire in the Sacramento Mountains. About 16,000 acres burned, and dozens of homes were lost.

Today, reforestation in this area focuses on restoring ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer habitat, stabilizing mountain slopes, and building a more fire-resilient forest where neighborhoods and woodlands meet.

Visit the restoration area on Google Maps:

Restoring Wisconsin’s National Forests: White Pine, Red Oak, Hemlock & Tamarack Take Root

Wisconsin’s forest landscapes have gone through major changes over the last century. Historic logging, wildfires, invasive pests, and land-use changes left many areas in need of renewal. Today, reforestation efforts across Wisconsin’s National Forests — including the Chequamegon-Nicolet — are helping restore iconic tree species that once defined this region: eastern white pine, red oak, eastern hemlock, and tamarack.

By planting new trees in areas where forests were lost or damaged, foresters are rebuilding thriving ecosystems that will benefit people and wildlife for generations.

🌲 Bringing Back Eastern White Pine

White pine was once the dominant tree across northern Wisconsin — especially prized by early loggers for its tall, straight trunks. But massive timber harvests in the late 1800s and early 1900s drastically reduced white pine populations.

Reforestation projects are now working to re-establish white pine where it historically flourished. This fast-growing native species:

• Provides excellent cover and winter shelter for wildlife

• Stores large amounts of carbon as it matures

• Helps rebuild multi-layered forest structure and long-term diversity

White pine seedlings planted today will grow into the towering giants Wisconsin’s forests were once known for.

🌲 Strengthening Forest Resilience with Eastern Hemlock

Eastern hemlock adds cool, shaded habitat and stabilizes streambanks — making it essential for healthy waterways and cold-water fisheries. But Wisconsin has seen steep declines in hemlock due to over-harvesting and the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid in other states.

Planting hemlock in suitable habitat supports:

• Better water quality and more stable trout streams

• Increased biodiversity in northern hardwood forests

• Future seed sources that help rebuild the species’ range

Restoring hemlock helps preserve a uniquely northern forest environment rich in wildlife.

🌲 Restoring Wetlands with Tamarack

Tamarack (also known as American larch) is one of the few deciduous conifers — it turns golden in autumn and drops its needles in winter. Once widespread in northern bogs and wetlands, tamarack is now being replanted to offset losses from pests like the larch sawfly and changes in hydrology.

Why tamarack matters:

• Supports marsh birds, beavers, and rare bog species

• Stabilizes wetland soils and improves water storage

• Adds resilience to habitats vulnerable to climate shifts

Replanting tamarack ensures Wisconsin’s wetlands continue to support rich ecosystems.

🌱 Why Reforestation Matters

Tree planting in National Forests helps ensure that:

✔ Forests damaged by harvest, storms, or pests recover quickly
✔ Wildlife habitat and food sources are restored
✔ More carbon is captured and stored in living forests
✔ Future generations can enjoy healthy woodlands and clean air

Each new seedling nurtures long-term forest health while preserving Wisconsin’s natural heritage.

A Living Forest Legacy

The work being done today in Wisconsin’s National Forests ensures that iconic northern tree species — white pine, hemlock, and tamarack — continue to define the landscape for decades to come.

As these young seedlings grow into mature forests, they will protect wildlife, strengthen local ecosystems, and keep Wisconsin wild, green, and thriving.

Explore Wisconsin’s Living Reforestation Map

If you’d like to see where tree planting is actually happening on the ground, you can explore our interactive map of past and present reforestation locations across Wisconsin’s forests: