Penny Pines

The Sierra National Forest is proud to be apart of the Penny Pines prorgram. This proram allows the public to participate in replanting trees after any kind of fire. 

Penny Pines History

In 1941, California's first Penny Pines plantation was sponsored by the San Francisco Sports-women's Association. Recognizing the great need to restore these devastated areas, the association sent their donation to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California.

Since that contribution, the number of participating groups and individuals has grown each year. They include such organizations as the Garden and Women’s Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts of America, Civic and Sportsmen’s clubs, and many others.

Why the Penny Pines donation is $68.00

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.

In1964, the original cooperative agreement was rewritten to provide that funds contributed under the Penny Pines program be used for reforestation, rather than solely for purchasing seedlings.

The money that is donated to this project is still used to plant trees, although because of its success the Forest Service no longer plants one acre of trees. The Forest Service instead seeks to plant a tree per donation in honor of the contributions that are made.

How Penny Pines helps the National Forest

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.

In southern California, 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 acorns, and replanted near the areas where the seeds were collected to improve their change 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.

How to make donations to the Penny Pines program

Monetary donations can be made in the form of checks of $68.00 or $136.00 and can be made to any specific National Forest. The Sierra National Forest accepts these contributions at the Supervisors office by mail.

All funds are deposited into a Penny Pines Reforestation account, drawn upon as improvement projects that are determined by resource managers.

A certificate named in honor of, in memory of, or an appreciation letter and thank you note is sent to each donor.

Make checks payable to: The Sierra National Forest.

Mail all donations to the Sierra National Forest Supervisors Office;

Sierra National Forest
Attn. Penny Pines Coordinator
1600 Tollhouse Rd.
Clovis CA 93611

Click Here to Download Penny Pines Donation Form

Thank you for your continuous support of the Sierra National Forest!