Storrie Fire Reforestation Carbon Offset Project
Location: Plumas County, CA
Scale: 2550 acres
Manager: W. M. Beaty & Associates, Inc.
Project Enrolled: 2001
The Storrie Fire Reforestation Carbon Offset Project is within the Northern region of the Sierra Nevada Range, in Plumas County. The Project includes 2,550 acres of forestland that were severely burned in the September 2000 Storrie Fire that started several miles upwind to the west of the Project Area and burned through several thousand acres of USDA Forest Service land before reaching the Project Area.
Prior to the Storrie Fire, the area was comprised of Sierran mixed conifer species. After the wildfire, there were few scattered live residual mixed conifer trees in the Project Area that survived the wildfire. The Project commenced in 2001, with the planting of nearly one million ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, red fir, white fir, sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, and giant sequoia seedlings over four years.
Early brush control was completed to enhance survival and growth of the planted conifers. The brush control also removed impediments to the recruitment and growth of younger age classes of understory white fir and incense cedar over time where there is a nearby seed source. In the first 60 years, management will be limited to thinning that promotes tree vigor and growth, and enhance short- and long-term resiliency to fire. In 70 to 100 years, some small group selection harvests will be needed to create a desirable distribution of age classes over the long term.