Cone Collection for Active Reforestation

We teamed up with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed to coordinate and host an event to collect Ponderosa Pinecones. These cones will be harvested for their seeds that will one day grow up to become the forests that protect our water, wildlife and communities. 

Successive significant fires in Northern Colorado — the Cameron Peak Fire and the High Park Fire — have made it difficult for these areas to regenerate on their own. And the back-to-back fires have created a significant shortage of seeds that are needed to grow the seedlings used for critical reforestation projects. 

Partners preserving the planet 

The Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed is a local group we are proud to call our partner. Their mission to improve and maintain the ecological health of the Poudre River watershed through community collaboration is something we whole-heartedly support.

“We [Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed] focus on collecting ponderosa pine to reforest areas of the Cache la Poudre River watershed that have been burned by high-severity wildfires,” said Megan Maiolo-Heath, the Communications, Outreach & Marketing Manager for Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed. 

CPRW partners with landowners, government agencies, water utilities, and non-profits to collaboratively address some of the most challenging issues facing our watershed.  

Not enough seeds 

Hotter temperatures, dryer climates and bigger burn scars are contributing to a shortage of seeds for reforestation. Ponderosa Pine forests are wiped out by high intensity fires. This leaves behind very large areas without any mature trees to provide the seeds needed to regrow forests. 

New York Times article: How to Revive a Burned Forest? Rebuild the Tree Supply Chain  

After the Cameron Peak Fire, Ponderosa Pine had a relatively low probability of coming back on its own. We collect Ponderosa Pinecones to harvest seeds for tree planting efforts. Ponderosa Pine are ideal for active reforestation in Colorado as they grow well in hot and dry conditions and they can be successfully planted by people. 

While many Front Range forests have adapted to fire, their ability to recover varies. Hotter, drier conditions are contributing to more frequent, more intense wildfires than what some forests can survive. Where burns are severe, some forests cannot regenerate on their own, as wind and natural forces cannot carry seeds over the vast treeless areas left behind. 

Forest recovery also slows when forests burn twice in rapid succession. Some areas that burned in the High Park Fire (2012) burned again in the Cameron Peak Fire (2020). Young trees that had begun to take root were wiped out by the second fire, making it much more difficult for natural recovery to happen again.   

Why collect cones? 

To conduct active reforestation, we need seeds. And local seeds are important to make for successful reforestation.  

“We know that for long-term success of these reforestation projects and for higher survival rates, we want to plant local seed,” Maiolo-Heath said. “Replanting with local seeds ensures that trees are genetically adapted to the specific climate, soil and ecological conditions of the area.” 

Cones are collected in late summer and fall, then harvested for their seeds. Local nurseries use these seeds to grow seedlings that are then planted by hand in burn scars. It takes about 100-150 seedlings per acre to regenerate a forest. 

Forests are critically important to our water, wildlife and way of life. They protect watersheds and headwaters of rivers across the West, prevent erosion and filter water for communities downstream. 

“The main reason that this work is so important is because the West has a seed shortage and really needs to increase our seed collection and seed supply,” said Maiolo-Heath. “In fact, there's currently about a 3.8-million-acre gap between the post fire needs and post fire planting capacity.” 

Community Effort