Angora burn area may be replanted this week

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit may begin planting native seedlings in the Angora Fire area this week if soil conditions are appropriate.

Reforesting the area with native species such as Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, incense cedar and red fir will speed up progress toward healthier forest conditions, according the Forest Service.

Without this helping hand, little to no natural regeneration of conifers would occur in the high severity burn areas. In areas where natural regeneration occurs, seedlings would mainly consist of white fir, which is susceptible to drought, disease and fire, officials say.

The Forest Service will allow natural regeneration in some areas and permit other areas to return to chaparral. No replanting will occur in riparian zones or aspen stands.

Because anywhere from 30-60 percent of seedlings may not survive, initial planting is at much higher densities that what is eventually desired.

Due to the scale and short time-frame for the planting, the Forest Service will use contract crews. Planting should take about three weeks, with crews working from 6am-6pm, including weekends.

The seedlings will be 1-year-old and about 6-inches high when they arrive. The Placerville Nursery supplies the seedlings, which are collected from a seed source appropriate to the elevation and site characteristics of the fire area. To increase the seedlings’ chance of survival, crews will remove competing vegetation for up to 3 feet surrounding the seedling during planting and as needed during future years.