Story perspectives

California Faces Rising Deforestation Amid Increasing Wildfires

4/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

California's forests are undergoing a transformation as rising wildfire frequency and intensity drive deforestation.
A University of California, Davis study covering 1991–2023 finds deforestation rates at 0.25%–0.47% annually, above the global 0.15%.
Reforestation remains limited, with about 1% of deforested federal lands replanted from 2016 to 2023.
The Sierra Nevada and Northern California forests face restoration after the 2020 and 2021 wildfires, risking loss of conifer forests and ecosystem services.

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Story summary

California's forests are undergoing a transformation as rising wildfire frequency and intensity drive deforestation.
A University of California, Davis study covering 1991–2023 finds deforestation rates at 0.25%–0.47% annually, above the global 0.15%.
Reforestation remains limited, with about 1% of deforested federal lands replanted from 2016 to 2023.
The Sierra Nevada and Northern California forests face restoration after the 2020 and 2021 wildfires, risking loss of conifer forests and ecosystem services.