We are survivors of the SQF Complex wildfire that devastated our Sequoia National Forest last September.
Our community of Alpine Village was severely impacted. (It’s been several months now but I still cry as I write this). Our community had 54 homes and only 4 survived(just barely).
We are a retired couple that had just moved into our dream house. We had been looking forward to living out our years among the Giants. (Our property is in the Sequoia National Forest, is part of the Sequoia National Monument and in the Sequoia National Park). The Giant Sequoias have been lost along with 175,000 acres of our beloved forest.
We have decided to rebuild even though our forest has literally vanished.
This was NOT a ‘normal’ Fire ... the sequoias that had survived countless forest fires over the past 3000 yrs couldn’t survive this one.
Our mountain communities lost 220 homes and our landscape looks like the surface of Mars.
I’m writing to you today to humbly ask for help in a small way. Do you have any programs for replanting trees after a forest fire?
I’ve asked several agencies for information -have exhausted all my leads in the area of getting saplings or seeds donated.
I have purchased three large ponderosa pines from a wholesale nursery for $90 each - but our community has been vaporized- and will badly be in need of shade and habitat for the displaced wildlife.
Our property is going to FEEL like the surface of Mars come summer during the rebuild without shade.
We need some sort of erosion control too...
At the current rate I will be spending more money on purchasing baby trees... and would be perfectly happy to replace trees instead of my home.. because I don’t mind sleeping in a tent as long as my beloved flora and fauna come back. I feel as if my road to healing is directly tied to the land... if I can give the soil something to grow then we will heal together.
I’m wondering if, as an agency, you can investigate the possibility of a reforestation project in our area.
I know our mountain will not recover completely in my lifetime ... but I’m desperate to see some green this spring.
If your organization isn’t in this line of work.. I understand. But maybe there are places or companies or organizations that you can refer me to?
Thank you in advance for considering my blabbering request.
I will include a before and after picture of our home r.i.p.
Ginny Carlborg Casagrande
52905 Alpine Drive
Alpine Village CA 91504
