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Campaign
Wildfire Restoration Collaborative
As wildfires continue to wreak havoc, the time to respond is now. Building on the momentum of the Time for Trees Initiative, the Wildfire Restoration Collaborative provides opportunities for education, engagement, and action — inspiring a commitment to restoring community and natural forestlands devastated by wildfire.
Join Us on this Road to Recovery
With the initial focus on California wildfire restoration, this Arbor Day Foundation-led collaboration aims to connect private-sector partners with scalable, quality urban and natural forestland projects, restoring critical landscapes and elevating the messaging and urgency around wildfire recovery worldwide.
Who we are
This Arbor Day Foundation-led initiative is focused on building partnerships that can leverage tree planting where it is needed most. We are bringing together private-sector and nonprofit organizations to ensure that scalable, quality urban and natural forestland projects can have a greater impact, rehabilitating landscapes and elevating the messaging and urgency around wildfire recovery.
This collaborative is built on the idea that together we can do more. These partners — a mix of governmental, nonprofit, and corporate organizations — are committed to the restoration of forests devastated by wildfire.
Corporate Partners
Our tree planting partners include American Forest Foundation, Black Forest Together, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California ReLeaf, California Urban Forests Council, Colorado State Forest Service, Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Josephine County Forestry Department, Larkfield Resilience Fund, Oregon State Forest Service, Tennessee Forestry Division, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, TreeFolks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Wai‘anae Mountains Watershed Partnership, and Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council.
Over and over, the news headlines have told of raging wildfires consuming acres upon acres of trees. And these stories are only becoming more common. But what happens after the flames have been extinguished?
In the aftermath of a forest fire, scrub quickly grows where tall stands of trees once stood. It is critical that reforestation efforts happen quickly. The purpose of the Wildfire Restoration Collaborative is to establish a group ready to collectively respond to the need for replanting as it arises.
The Foundation has a long history of managing complex, multi-project, and multiyear restoration programs on behalf of our partners. To date, we have planted and distributed more than 350 million trees throughout hundreds of projects across the globe. The Arbor Day Foundation has the networks, systems, tools, and processes to ensure strong environmental impacts are realized in forests around the world.
Every day, as it has been for years, the Foundation focuses on numerous complex issues such as the role large-scale tree planting plays in overall global sustainability. It’s crucial to plant alongside experienced local partners who determine details like the species and spacing of trees, time of year, and specific locations to plant. Making projects in managed forests a priority helps the world’s most effective tree planters ensure that the new trees thrive. Working thoughtfully, with partners, ensures success.
Partners choose to collaborate with the Arbor Day Foundation due to three key strengths:
- Unique Position: A global leader in tree planting projects of exceptional scope and scale.
- Integrity: A commitment to planting the right tree in the right place at the right time for the right reasons.
- Credibility: A proven track record of working with a network of partners to deliver results.
Our Response to the Growing Challenge of Megafires
Understand & Educate
Understand & Educate
Immediately after new fires are sparked, it is critical that we recognize for ourselves and for our partners how reforestation and recovery fit into the larger wildfire equation. The Arbor Day Foundation always focuses on keeping our partner networks informed about what is happening in places like Australia, for example, and communicating when the best time and method for restoration will take place. We recognize that supporting immediate needs of stopping the fire and promoting the need to provide food, water, and shelter to the people affected are of utmost importance.
Focus on Future Forests
Immediately after new fires are sparked, it is critical that we recognize for ourselves and for our partners how reforestation and recovery fit into the larger wildfire equation. The Arbor Day Foundation always focuses on keeping our partner networks informed about what is happening in places like Australia, for example, and communicating when the best time and method for restoration will take place. We recognize that supporting immediate needs of stopping the fire and promoting the need to provide food, water, and shelter to the people affected are of utmost importance.
A Sustained Approach
To best steward our resources, the Arbor Day Foundation promotes long-term, sustainable approaches to forest restoration, management, and protection. According to USDA Forest Service research, focusing attention on fuels reduction, prescribed burning, and quick-response, active reforestation could limit the severity and intensity of future fires. This approach helps forests continue to provide the necessities of life such as air, water, habitat, and a stable climate, more effectively.
Set Priorities
Because the need is immense and funds are often limited, the Arbor Day Foundation focuses on the highest priority areas within a burned landscape. This usually means two things: focusing on where the best active reforestation opportunities are and where passive reforestation, or natural regeneration, may not be sufficient or occur at all. We also put high priority on efforts where our local partnerships are strongest. No work of high quality and integrity can be done without active, reliable, on-the-ground partners.
Cut Emissions
Pressures outside of forests affect what happens within forests. Forest pressures in places such as Brazil and the United States are linked to pressures on Australian forests. Increasing temperatures will lead to more significant forest fire risks, and a greater likelihood of future, more intense occurrences. Reining in global emissions immediately is one of the most critical tactics for ensuring that abnormal fire events like those in Australia do not become commonplace.
Restoration at Scale
Featured Arbor Day Foundation Wildfire Recovery Projects
Join us on a mission to revive our natural and urban forests
This collaboration is built on the idea that together we can do more. A mix of governmental, nonprofit, and corporate organizations make up our efforts. All are committed to the restoration of forests devastated by wildfire.
Be part of positive change
to share with various corporate stakeholders
Incentivize cross-collaboration
among funding and programmatic partners
Convene
both digitally and in-person, corporate leaders to discuss the intersection between fire and forests alongside trusted peers and subject-matter experts
Elevate awareness and recognition
about the role corporations can and do play in addressing forest fires
Share progress
on various projects, provide context and learnings to spark opportunities for future successful collaborations
Discuss best practices
for wildfire communications and messaging
Get involved
Join the Collaborative
There is much to learn from the increasing severity and frequency of forest fires. Many of our partners are interested in learning more, while others are interested in sharing their experiences. The Arbor Day Foundation is often at the nexus of these conversations and aims to continue to create spaces for convening interested parties to drive our mission forward.
If you or your organization are interested in our plans to respond to past, current and the growing global trend of megafires, please fill out the interest form or email us at [email protected].