Author: Mike Matzinger
Years after the devastating 2018 Ute Park Fire scorched over 26,000 acres in Philmont Scout Ranch, efforts to restore the forest are well underway. Scouts have helped plant 3,000 Ponderosa pine seedlings with help from NMSU’s Forestry Research Center. Without reforestation, recovery could take centuries.
Philmont Scout Ranch is a 140,000-acre high adventure base owned by Scouting America. Every year, tens of thousands of scouts from across the country come to backpack its rugged wilderness, learn outdoor skills, and grow as leaders. The fire destroyed a large portion of the ranch’s forest, which plays a vital role in its program and ecosystem.
Philmont plans to launch an Adopt an Acre program this fall to help fund the effort and ensure future generations of scouts can continue to explore and learn from the land.