Wildfires in the Western U.S. are growing increasingly destructive, and now scientists are confronting a chilling new problem: forests that typically regenerate after blazes aren’t bouncing back.
Climate team members Brittany Peterson and Tammy Webber joined forces after discovering both wanted to report about how scientists and others are responding to the challenge imperiling a Biden administration goal to plant a billion trees over 10 years in national forests.
Sources told Webber that multiple bottlenecks – seed-gathering, lack of nursery capacity and trained workers, and difficulty preparing burned sites – are complicating reforestation efforts.
Denver-based video journalist Peterson traveled to the site of the devastating Cameron Peak fire in the Rocky Mountains, where she produced visually stunning video featuring drone footage and compelling interviews with a researcher and a Forest Service official.
AP data reporter Camille Fassett obtained data from the Forest Service and researchers to illustrate how the gap was growing, and Mary Katherine Wildeman helped bring the story to the finish line after she left.
Wildeman also created a graphic that photo editor Alyssa Goodman used to create a striking presentation with another by Kevin Vineys.
Visit AP.org to request a trial subscription to AP’s video, photo and text services.
For breaking news, visit apnews.com.
Submission Links
https://bit.ly/3NhbSvqRelated articles
