Text-to-speech audio articles made possible by the Quest Grant at Yavapai College. Tuition-free, industry-recognized certificates for your career.

Tree planting has begun on approximately 380 acres on the east side of the San Francisco Peaks. Volunteers are needed to help with the replanting effort on Saturday (August 17) from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The planting will take place between Schultz Pass Road and Waterline Road in an area that was already replanted after the Schultz fire in 2010.

The 2022 pipeline and tunnel fires raged in the same area, resulting in a total loss of 3,000 acres of newly planted trees.

Although the 2022 fires resulted in high mortality rates on these reforested areas, they also significantly reduced the amount of fuel available to provide a clean foundation for planting the next generation.

This planting is significant not only because of the visual aesthetics and cultural significance of the San Francisco Peaks, but also because it can help reforest areas that burned unusually hot and may not regenerate naturally for over a hundred years.

These planted trees will also help reduce soil erosion and improve wildlife habitat, while restoring some of our timber reserves lost in recent fires.

Volunteers who would like to plant trees on Saturday should contact Christopher Curley at [email protected]. Planting efforts are expected to continue for the next three to four weeks.

Read more stories from The Mountain Cities on Signals A Z.com.

Subscribe and be the F1RST2KNOW!