Reforestation Services Program

The L.A. Moran Reforestation Center, 5800 Chiles Road, Davis, CA 95618

California has been devastated in recent years by catastrophic wildfires, changing the landscape of forests and wildlands, our homes and lives. As fires sweep through the state, keeping our forests healthy and wildfire resilient is more important than ever. Growing enough trees to meet the increasing need is our highest priority—and future seedlings will contribute to the strength and restoration of the state’s forestlands. 

The Reforestation Services Program (RSP) serves all California forestlands by providing resources to protect and restore disturbed and degraded forests, maximizing their values, enhancing ecosystem functions, and increasing resiliency from climatic impacts.

What’s New:
  1. We are now accepting seedling requests for the 2027 growing season. Accepted orders are generally available for pickup the following year beginning in November. Please submit all requests through our new Services Application Portal (SAP):

    Services Application Portal (SAP)

  2. View our 2025 Annual Report, At a Glance, and Seed and Seedling Distribution Statistics below under Program Resources.

Who We Are

The L.A. Moran Reforestation Center has a long-standing history of serving California. Established in 1921, the Reforestation Center has been growing tree seedlings since its inception 100 years ago. Embracing CAL FIRE’s ongoing mission to protect the people and resources of California, the Reforestation Center has produced millions of tree seedlings for the state’s reforestation efforts.

The demand for tree-growing operations has expanded dramatically over the last decade due to California’s drought, tree mortality, and devastating wildfires. The Reforestation Center provides a reliable source of quality tree seedlings and seed stock to private landowners and public forests in California. We are expanding our operations to meet the growing needs of our communities.

What We Do

Our native tree seeds are important for California’s future. Conifers like pine, sequoia, and cedars form cones. These cones produce seeds, part of the forest’s natural reproduction cycle. The Reforestation Center specializes in processing, lab testing, and growing seedlings from cone-bearing trees.

To obtain the highest quality seeds, the Reforestation Center surveys vast and often difficult to traverse locations throughout California. Harvesting superior seeds require using cones produced in the top one-third of the tree! We work closely with highly-trained climbers to reach these heights. Once harvested, the cone seeds return to the Center, where staff begins the rigorous procedure of processing and laboratory testing.

About the Nursery

Located at Lewis A. Moran Reforestation Center, 5800 Chiles Road, Davis, CA, the Nursery is where trees are propagated from seed we collect and are carefully grown in state-of-art greenhouses. Because growing from seed can take an entire year, the Nursery works with public and private forests to forecast where demand will be for future seasons. The need for quality seedlings is only growing.

If you are a private forestland owner or want to restore native trees on your property, the Reforestation Center offers available seedlings to both private and public forestlands.

The State Seed Bank

The state seed bank is a long-term seed repository stored in sub-zero freezer banks. Containing over 30,000 pounds of seed, the Seed Bank provides a wide variety of native tree species from a range of areas and elevations throughout the state. This helps restore native lands exposed to shifting climates, and rising uncertainties in the forest ecosystem.

The Seed Bank acts as protection against the threat of state-wide extinction, striving to preserve species for current and future generations of Californians. It is a vital part of reforestation’s future.

CAL FIRE’s L. A. Moran Reforestation Center is always seeking professional tree climbers for cone sampling and cone collections between July and October across the State. You must have your own liability insurance and gear. For more information, please contact the Seed Bank Manager.

See Us In Action!

Get an inside look at the CAL FIRE Reforestation Services program and the work they do across the state. Interested in a tour of the L.A. Moran Reforestation Center (LAMRC) in Davis, CA? Tours are held once a month based on interest and staff availability.

Tour Request

Reforestation Pipeline Partnership

The Reforestation Pipeline Partnership (RPP) is a strategic collaboration between the United States Forest Service Region 5, CAL FIRE, and American Forests created to address challenges to post-burn reforestation activities on public and private lands. 

California Reforestation Toolshed

Many valuable reforestation resources exist, but they are hosted in various formats by the different organizations and initiatives that created them. The California Reforestation Toolshed, a new website from the USDA California Climate Hub, gathers these reforestation resources in one easy-to-use location so the reforestation community can better access essential knowledge.

Additional Information

Enabling Legislation

The Reforestation Services Program operates under the direction of various external laws, policies, and plans that enable and guide its’ work to include the prioritization of projects, purposes, and landownerships it serves, nursery and seed bank practices and sales, and more comprehensive initiatives and long-term strategies. We invite you to visit the following links to learn more.

CONTACTS

For questions on your reforestation needs, please contact us at: (530) 753-2441.
Business Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm.

Email: Reforestation@Fire.Ca.Gov

Program Staff

Services Application Portal (SAP)

Please visit our new Services Application Portal (SAP) for all seed, seedling, overrun, and research requests.

Seed requests are accepted year-round. Seedling requests are accepted April-October, or until our nursery reaches capacity. Accepted seedling orders are generally available for pickup the following year beginning in November. Overrun (excess) seedlings are available while supplies last.

Through this portal, you can also access our interest form for the Reforestation Because of You (RBY) program, and in the coming months, vendor registration and work order proposals for the Cones as Goods Program (CAG).

 

Visit SAP

Seeds to Trees Newsletter

Stay rooted! Program updates, straight to your inbox.

 

Seed Zone Lookup Tool

This interactive viewer allows users to search for their planting site location and click on the map to identify their seed zone and 500’ elevation band. This tool is intended to assist those when placing seed or seedling requests, or anyone else who is interested in exploring California Tree Seed Zones. Maps in PDF Form are also available.

 

Seed Zone Lookup Tool

Seed Bank Assessment of Needs (AON)

This app maps statistics on the number of cone bushels needed to meet the 25 percent reforestation goal in non-federal conifer timberlands for 15 common conifer species in California. This assessment is updated annually ahead of the cone survey season.  Read “About This Viewer” for more information after clicking on the link below.

 

AON Tool