J. Herbert Stone Nursery

Happy Arbor Day! Here’s a great tree story: At the J. Herbert Stone Nursery in Central Point, OR, one of eight USDA Forest Service nurseries, employees took on a massive task to transplant nearly three million seedling plugs in an effort to further tree reforestation and post-fire recovery. The number of seedlings planted were roughly double the average annual volume the nursery transplants every Fall. (The typical project is 1 million to 1.5 million.) This signifiant accomplishment, which took place in just 11 days last Fall, is part of a recently announced 10-year strategy to confront the wildfire crisis and improve forest resilience. Overgrown forests, a warming climate, and a growing number of homes in the wildland-urban interface—following more than a century of rigorous fire suppression—have all contributed to what is now a full-blown wildfire and forest health crisis. Seedling Story Forest Service nurseries provide locally adapted plants and seeds for reforestation projects. The seeds are replanted in the areas they were collected, assuring a source of desirable species and stock types for restoring native ecosystems. Seedlings are requested based on landscape needs, such as fire-related disturbances, timber harvest, and other specific requirements. Having the seeds be naturally, genetically acclimated to areas where they will be finally planted can help the seedlings succeed once they are planted on the landscape. “Natural resource specialists working on the ground as part of fire recovery efforts were able to determine where and what they would be planting quickly. They submitted orders in the ...