Penny Pines Reforestation Program
The national forests in California cover some 20 million acres, or about 1/5 of the state. That is equal to an area just slightly larger than the state of South Carolina. Stretching from the Mexican border to Oregon, these forests include a variety of terrain and vegetation types. These areas of great beauty and majestic stature are plagued by a variety of problems, such as natural and man-caused fire, insect infestation, drought and disease. These problems are causing the depletion and destruction of the national forests in California.
As a result of past catastrophes such as forest fires and drought, thousands of acres of potential forest land on the National Forests in California is now covered in brush. Once the land is brush-covered trees grow back very slowly – if at all. To accelerate reforestation, brush must be removed, the sites prepared, and seedlings planted.
In time some land may recover naturally if enough seed trees are left behind. Penny Pines provides a helping hand. It is a conservation program in which everyone can participate. Other states have cooperative planting programs, but the Penny Pines Program is unique to California. Almost every National Forest in the State has a Penny Pines program and plantation area. A sign at each plantation lists the organizations which have donated to that particular site. Since funds are sent to the closest National Forest, contributors are able to visit the plantation sites and enjoy the results of their cooperation.
Penny Pines donations have helped maintain the National Forests in California. Participation in the program has also helped many people understand important things about the conservation of natural resources and wise management of the public forestlands that belong to them.
How to Make Donations to the Penny Pines Program
A minimum donation of $68.00 may be made to a specific National Forest.
The funds are deposited into a Penny Pines Reforestation account, drawn upon as improvement projects are determined by resource managers.
A certificate of appreciation and thank you note is sent to each donor.
Your donation to the Penny Pines Project will help bring new life into our National Forest!
Please support the Eldorado National Forest by printing this form and mailing it in with your tax-deductible contribution to:
Eldorado National Forest
100 Forni Road
Placerville, CA 95667
Attn: Penny Pines Coordinator
For more information contact the Forest Supervisor’s Office (530) 622-5061.
Name: ______________________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ______________________________________________________
City: ________________________________ State: _______ Zip Code: __________
Phone Number: ________________________
E-Mail Address: ____________________________________
I have enclosed a donation of $_____________
Make checks payable to: USDA Forest Service
Thank you for your continuing support of the Penny Pines Reforestation Program.
You make a difference!
Background
The Penny Pines Program was initiated in California in 1941. It started small, under the sponsorship of the San Francisco Sportswomen's Association in 1941 who recognized the great need to restore devastated areas. The minimum donation is $68.00.
Eight decades later, those pennies have amounted to well over 1 million dollars, and the program is a statewide conservation project supported by numerous individuals and organizations.
Over the years, individuals, community organizations, and groups of all sizes have participating in the Penny Pines Program. Garden clubs, women's clubs, men's service organizations, youth groups, and schools have all cooperated to help keep California's forests green and growing.
At the start of the program in 1941, seedlings could be produced for about one cent each. Approximately 680 seedlings were used to plant a typical acre. For $68.00, seedlings for ten acres could be purchased. Site preparation and planting costs were met through regular Forest Service appropriations.
The Penny Pines program was so successful that money contributed to purchase seedlings soon far exceeded appropriated funds available for site preparation and for the actual planting job. In 1964, the original cooperative agreement was rewritten to provide that funds contributed under the Penny Pines program could now be used for reforestation, rather than solely for purchasing seedlings.
The “Penny Pines” plantings are made as part of the regular National Forest reforestation program on burned-over and brush covered areas which are potentially productive timberlands. Northern California plantations are for soil protection, beauty, and future harvestable timber. Southern California plantations are for watershed protection, soil stabilization and shade for recreation areas.
Under a Conservation Agreement, you or your organization contributes $68 toward the cost of planting seedlings on about one acre of National Forest land in California. Using your donation together with Federal funds and other donations, the Forest will plant seedlings or perform related work in a planting site on the National Forest. The Supervisor of each National Forest selects the planting sites. The plantation will be marked with a standard Forest Service sign that names the contributing individuals and organizations.
Contributions must be in multiples of $68 or more. For each $68 contribution, you will receive a PENNY PINES certificate from the Forest Supervisor, who will inform you of the location of the plantation at your request. You may request a memorial plantation for which you will receive a special memorial certificate with the deceased person’s name. Duplicate certificates are available upon request. The deceased person’s name will be placed on the sign at the plantation site as follows: “Friends of ” “Family of ” “Relatives of ”.
Over the years these groups have contributed more than a million dollars to the Penny Pines Reforestation Program. Through these donations, more than 27 million of seedlings have been planted, renewing 88,000 acres of national forest land in California--truly an outstanding achievement.
Contributions may be used to prepare plantation sites for new trees or planting seedlings grown in Forest Service nurseries throughout California. Seedlings are grown from local seeds, and replanted near the areas where the seeds were collected to improve their chance of survival. The funds may also be used to maintain existing tree stands and improve wildlife habitat. Plantations are important for watershed protection, soil stabilization and shade for recreation areas. Any of these activities may be funded through Penny Pines donations.
The Penny Pines Reforestation Program plays a vital role both in renewing the national forests in California, and in multiple-use management. Trees help the ground store precious water, protect against soil erosion, and add to the scenic beauty of the national forests.