Since 2016, more than two million acres of Northern California have been torched by devastating wildfires, leaving vast tracts of previously forested land nothing but black matchsticks. As the landscape recovers, efforts are being made to ensure forests regenerate so massive brush fields don’t take the place of trees. As staff chief for CalFire’s Wildfire Resilience Program, Stew McMorrow has more than 30 years experience climbing trees, falling trees, planting trees, funding agencies in reforestation, as well as working as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). McMorrow is also an avid outdoorsman and mountain biker, and understands the value of balancing recreation with forestry, serving on the executive board of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. In Episode 87, we join McMorrow planting seedlings on Mount Hough near Quincy, California, heavily impacted by the Dixie Fire, then chat with him about forestry, pinecones, growing trees, reforestation and how recreation plays a role in all of it. We also talk with Michael Hall of Feather River Resource Conservation District and fellow RPF, Jason Moghaddas, about the recent controversial news around glyphosate – aka Round Up – being sprayed on public lands.

2:00 – Pow Bot forgets his mountain bike helmet on the Mt Hough shuttle.

5:00 – Introducing Stew McMorrow – forester for CalFire leading reforestation efforts.

8:15 – All the new amazing trails on Mount Hough including Upper Tollgate trail.

13:20 – Stew McMorrow and Michael Hall describing reforestation on top of Mount Hough.

21:50 – Stew McMorrow interview in the back of the Toyota Sunrader.

23:20 – Stew’s upbringing, going to school and working as a sawyer on a fire crew.

26:40 – Getting his Registered Professional Forester (RPF) license and working in Lake Tahoe.

32:05 – Running the CalFire Wildfire Resilience Program and Reforestation program.

37:35 – Climbing trees and collecting pine cones for tree seeds and replanting.

43:10 – Dropping his phone out of a tree and getting attacked by bees.

45:35 – What is the plight of the Pinecone Cowboy?

50:50 – What would the landscape look like if a forest isn’t replanted?

57:45 – Balancing the element of playing God with nature and letting nature do its thing.

1:01:00 – Home hardening and creating defensible space around communities.

1:04:30 – Millions of dollars in state money available for reforestation on federal land after fires.

1:10:23 – The spraying of herbicides like glyphosate on public lands to control brush regrowth.

1:18:39 – Michael Hall and Jason Moghaddas talk about glyphosate spraying on public lands.

1:28:50 – Being on the board of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship – forestry and recreation.

1:42:20 – Talking about the rescinding of the Roadless Rule.

1:50:40 – Being in the zone, what Stu calls the Quiet Room.

1:53:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?