PLACERVILLE . INFO

"The Forest Service recently began the 2008 planting program and the Bass Lake Ranger District is inviting the public to plant ponderosa pine seedlings on their property," said Bass Lake District Ranger Dave Martin. "During the next few months, contract and Forest Service crews will be planting over 220 acres of recently piled or shreaded brush fields, previously harvested areas and portions of the North Fork and Nehouse Fires." Contract crews will plant the majority while Forest Service crews will plant small, isolated openings. Between 300 and 550 seedlings will be planted per acre with a total of 55,000 to 60,000 trees to be planted on the District this planting season.

"Seedlings are grown from seed picked by the Forest Service a number of years in advance, labeled with specific species, forest, and elevation information and stored at Forest Service nurseries" said Martin. "Seedlings must be ordered one to two years in advance of planting. Many of the trees being planted were grown at the Placerville nursery as one-year old bare root stock." The blister rust resistant sugar pine being planted were grown as one-year old containerized stock.

During early March, contract crews planted 21,500 seedlings over 85 acres in low elevation areas (2,800 to 4,500 feet). Areas burned during the 2001 North Fork Fire along Road 274 and the Douglas Station Road as well as other scattered areas have been planted as a part of this first phase. Approximately 29,000 seedlings are to be planted in mid elevation areas (5,300 to 6,000 feet) during early April. The remaining areas in elevation from 6,500 to 7,500 feet generally remain under snow until late May or early June. Planting in these higher elevations will begin as the snow melts and will progress upwards in elevation as areas become free of snow. Between 5,000 and 7,500 trees are planted daily.

"Where present, a mixture of healthy young trees less than sixty years old have been retained to help maintain a diversity of tree species and sizes in planted areas," said Martin. Openings will be planted with a mixture of tree species. Areas between 2,800 and 5,600 feet in elevation are being planted with ponderosa pine and some sugar pine. Between 5,600 and 7,000 feet, areas will be planted with Jeffrey and sugar pine while areas over 7,000 feet will be planted with Jeffrey pine.

"Foothill residents in the North Fork and Oakhurst areas can participate in the spring planting program by planting a few ponderosa pine seedlings on their property," added Martin. "The North Fork office will have a number of bare root one-year old ponderosa pine seedlings available for adoption." To adopt 10 or more seedlings come to the North Fork Forest Service office Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. To minimize moisture and heat stress, seedlings should be transported in a cool ice chest with the roots covered with a moist towel and, if possible, planted the same day. Contact the North Fork office for more information, 559-877-2218.

At present, much of the native plant material used in restoration of public lands is grown at one of the six Forest Service Nurseries: Lucky Peak Nursery (Boise, ID), J. H. Stone Nursery (Medford, OR), Coeur d’Alene Nursery (Coeur d’Alene, ID), Placerville Nursery (Placerville, CA), Toumey Nursery (Waterstreet, MI), and Bessey Nursery (Halsey, NE). These nurseries have a long history of growing source-identified and locally adapted conifer seedlings for reforestation. Over the last 15 years, the traditional role of the Forest Service nurseries has expanded to include the production of a wide variety of additional native plant species to meet the increasing needs of ecosystem restoration. These opportunities present new challenges to nursery managers because little is known about propagating many of these new species.

PLACERVILLE NURSERY

JOHN GLEASON, ACTING MANAGER
2375 Fruitridge Road
Camino, CA 95709
530-622-9600
TTY 530-642-5050
FAX 642-5099
Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Schedule: Monday - Friday year-round.