Tamarack Fire

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The Tamarack Fire exploded July 16, 2021 and burned for 3 days across eastern Alpine County. Three homes were lost. The community continues to rebuild, planning and implementing restoration and reforestation projects across the landscape.

In June of 2022, Alpine County hosted a Community Meeting to outline the restoration activities related to the Tamarack Fire. All the partners associated with the restorations efforts were on hand to go over their projects and how they fit into the restoration landscape. 

See the full public meeting and presentation here...

See a map of the restoration projects...

Tamarack Fire Restoration

Tamarack EFRT

To help the community to recover from the Tamarack Fire, Alpine County has formed the Tamarack Emergency Fire Restoration Team (EFRT) with a grant from the USDA to; 1. coordinate restoration activities across the landscape regardless of jurisdiction and, 2. provide funding for private landowners to treat the landscape and replant or reforest barren ground.

Alpine County is currently accepting applications for this program. Fill out this application of interest to be contacted by the team. If you would like a hardcopy form, click here for a PDF version of the application.

The Alpine County Board of Supervisors has selected a team of consultants to assist with the implementation of the program and has allocated funding to conduct program work through June 2025. It is the intent of Alpine County to sponsor the identification, design, regulatory permitting, and implementation of restoration activities on private lands impacted by the 2021 Tamarack Fire. Allowable activities under this grant funding include:

  • Biomass Removal: (removal of burned trees or brush)
  • Mulching/Mastication:
  • Reseeding (live seedings – Trees):
  • Replanting (grasses, forbs, shrubs):
  • Erosion control/repair:
  • Watercourse repair:

Seedling Planting

Since the Tamarack Fire, various partners and funding sources have allowed tree seedlings to be planted across eastern Alpine County in order to encourage tree regeneration within the burn scar. Since 2022, over 14,000 seedlings have been planted. Though a variety of species have been planted, much of them have been Jeffrey Pine. Some of the more recent plantings included Jeffrey, Pinyon, and Sugar Pine. Some successful recurring volunteer events include:

  • Recurring Arbor Day tree plantings (Curtz Lake and Turtle Rock Park areas)
  • Plantings on USFS and BLM lands around areas such as the Indian Creek Day Use Area and Pleasant Valley. 

See the map below for an overview of areas where seedlings have been planted.