This past weekend (May 15th), the TWP Staff, TWP Board and some incredible volunteers planted 300 Ponderosa pine in Monument Gulch. The Monument Gulch/Poudre River watershed was extremely impacted by the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire.

Winter is a quiet time of year for communities working on reforestation initiatives, including our partners at Santo Domingo Pueblo and the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, but winter is a critical time for our nursery partners and the baby seedlings that will be planted in the coming months.

By Adria Malcolm and Andrew Hay, Andrea Januta

Reforestation supporters say planting trees helps fight climate change, protects watersheds and creates jobs -- arguments that help generate both global enthusiasm and U.S. bipartisan support. Lawmakers are seeking extra federal funding for such efforts. Some public-private partnerships committed to growing trees have been launched.

Joe Neguse has been a household name to people in northern Colorado for several years. His rise into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 gave him a national platform to represent Colorado’s 2nd District - taking the seat vacated by Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

Last summer in Fort Collins was characterized by thick smoke and orange skies from the Cameron Peak Fire, this summer flash flooding and debris flows from the burn scar are dominating headlines.

Planting trees is about more than just planting trees. We hear this frequently from our partners. On Lakota Tribal Lands, planting trees is done with great care, intention, and gratitude. When asked about what makes Pine Ridge a special place for him, Chief Henry Red Cloud told us it was the beautiful country, the rolling hills and the animals. “It’s all here,” he mentioned as he spoke on the importance of honoring trees as relatives.