Reforest California will have planted 78,000 trees in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park by the end of this week. It's part of statewide effort to plant one million trees in Southern California state parks.
The 2003 Cedar Fire burned nearly all of the 25,000 acres of the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Reforestation Project Manager Mike Wells said the initial plan was to allow natural regeneration to replenish the forest.
But he said four years after the Cedar Fire, the natural recovery process is not working for most tree species.
"We only had significant recovery of one species, and that was coulter pine. And there are four other conifer species up there that were largely absent from regeneration," said Wells.
To help the natural process, crews are planting 78,000 trees in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Wells said they expect to finish the work this week.
"We want to maintain this level of effort for at least the next seven years. So about say roughly about 75,000 trees a year," said Wells.
He said about half the project's nearly $6 million cost is being paid for by private sponsors.
Wells expects additional partners will pick up the balance.
