After devastating fires such as Moonlight, Walker, and Dixie, burned areas tend to repopulate with shrubs such as Ceanothus (deerbrush, snowbrush, mahala mat) and Arctostaphylos (various manzanitas). The goal of our reforestation project is to establish a cohort of conifer species that would otherwise be unable to regenerate in a burned landscape without mature adult seed trees.
While reforestation is the main focus of the Moonlight Area Restoration, Feather River RCD engages in other types of restoration work in these areas including an aspen restoration project, blister rust-resistant Sugar Pine cone collection, and experimental ungulate grazing.