Mt. Hood National Forest

In Mt. Hood National Forest, reforestation work has been focused on helping areas recover after the intense 2020 fire season. A key effort is the Post-fire Reforestation Mt. Hood National Forest project, which targets places that burned at moderate to high severity within the White River, Riverside, and Lionshead fire footprints—areas where the forest often won’t come back on its own for a long time.

The White River Fire (started by lightning in August 2020 on the Barlow Ranger District) is one of the major burn areas tied to this work. Reforestation in these zones is about getting native forest cover re-established in the right places so the land can stabilize again—helping reduce erosion, protecting watershed health, and rebuilding the building blocks of forest habitat over time.

Planting plans vary by elevation and site conditions, but the goal is consistent: bring back a forest that fits the landscape and can handle future stress better. In this region, reforestation commonly leans on native conifers such as Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine, chosen based on what’s most likely to do well on each specific site.

As these areas recover, the benefits go beyond trees. Restoring forest structure and protecting cold, clean water helps support the kinds of conditions that sensitive wildlife depends on—species like the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and bull trout (all federally listed as threatened).