Reseeding the Coconino

In the summer of 2004, the Jacket Fire burned more than 17,200 acres of the Coconino National Forest, the largest recorded fire on the forest. Even before the fire was fully contained, the plans for rehabilitating the burned area had begun.

Rehabilitation planning addressed concerns over noxious weeds, vegetative recovery, erosion and sedimentation, and protecting the Padre Roadless Area. EnviroSystems Management and the Forest Service are working together to aid vegetative recovery by reseeding the scorched earth with native plants.

EnviroSystems biologists collected native seed from heavily-grassed areas on the Coconino National Forest near the burned area to obtain seed which will be used in the spring to reseed burn areas, creating islands of native vegetation. The collection of native grass and herb seed from areas of the forest near to, but unaffected by, the fire serves to maintain ecotonal zones throughout the forest, maximizing adaptability and preserving the genetic integrity of native vegetation. This project will continue through the fall of 2006, when the final planting will occur.

( Success Story Archive )