Overview
- A wildfire that began May 15 burned about 18,379 acres on Santa Rosa Island and is the largest blaze recorded in Channel Islands National Park.
- Burned Area Emergency Response field surveys in June found scorched crowns, root‑collar damage and little sap in many trees and estimated 60–80% mortality among the island’s Torrey pines.
- Crews have installed roughly 250 erosion‑control wattles, cleared culverts and moved quickly to prevent winter rains from washing away fragile topsoil that the pines need to regrow.
- Park partners have collected more than 14,000 seeds, plan an island nursery and expect to plant about 300 to 500 seedlings per year across a 15‑acre restoration zone to try to retain the grove’s unique genetics.
- The island Torrey pine is one of only two natural populations in the world and has low genetic diversity, so scientists say active restoration is essential to avoid permanent loss and invasive‑grass takeover.