It Began with Yellowstone

In response to the devastating 1988 Yellowstone fires, the Arbor Day Foundation and the US Forest Service began a decades-long reforestation effort, planting millions of hand-planted trees in steep terrain to restore the park's ecosystem.

June 5, 2020

Scenic view of majestic mountains seen from a winding trail.

The summer of 1988 was the driest ever recorded in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding national forests. When lightning struck, more than 1.4 million acres of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem burned so intensely it destroyed the viability of seeds that would otherwise regenerate the forests.

The Arbor Day Foundation’s long history of reforestation began there, in the wake of those wildfires, working closely with the culturalists in the US Forest Service as we have for more than three decades. The restoration effort includes collecting seeds at various elevations, growing them in a nursery, matching seedling genetics to sites in need of trees and carrying out the planting operation. On the adjacent Gallatin National Forest alone, more than 3.5 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted.

The smoke from the Yellowstone wildfires changed the color of the sky as far away as Michigan. NPS Photo by Jeff Henry.

A serene river flows through a lush forest, surrounded by trees and scattered rocks, creating a tranquil natural scene.

The multi-project, multi-year work replanting trees on the Gallatin National Forest is restoring water quality and habitat for noble species including grizzly bears, trumpeter swans, lynx, and gray wolves. Photo by Mitch Weibel.

A picturesque view of a mountain range, framed by vibrant trees and grassy fields in the foreground.

A hillside featuring barren trees and dry grass after a wildfire.

A vibrant sunset casts colors over a mountain range, framed by trees and lush grass in the foreground.

A serene grassy field stretches out, framed by a majestic mountain rising in the background under a clear blue sky.

A picturesque landscape showcasing a grassy field adorned with various trees in the background.

“The incredible thing is that this massive sum came about one tree at a time, by hand,” said Stan Cook, a reforestation culturalist with the US Forest Service. “The terrain is so steep that seasonal, professional crews do the work. The planter clears an 18-inch square to mineral soil with his or her hoe dad, digs a hole and plants the tree to contract specifications. Then a burned log is placed next to the tree, carefully positioned to provide shade during the hot summer months. And this is repeated for every single tree.”