MEEKER | Volunteers from across the community gathered Feb. 27 to help restore hundreds of acres of land burned by last year’s Lee Fire, spreading thousands of native seeds across the Piceance Basin in an effort to stabilize soils and rebuild wildlife habitat.
About 30 volunteers participated in the effort, helping reseed approximately 525 acres in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the White River and Douglas Conservation District. Among those volunteers were 15 local middle and high school students.
According to U.S. Wildland Fire Service Geospatial Ecologist Natalie Pawlikowski with the BLM’s White River Field Office, the timing of the project was designed to mimic natural plant cycles.
“Seeding in the fall or winter helps mimic natural plant cycles,” Pawlikowski said. “Many native plants will bloom in spring and develop and spread seeds in fall. These seeds lay dormant over the winter and emerge in the spring. By spreading seed in the winter, we give them the right temperatures and moisture they need to successfully emerge in the spring.”
Pawlikowski noted that drought conditions could present challenges as the site begins to recover.
“We understand the drought-conditions this year might make plant establishment challenging and will monitor the site over time to track its recovery,” she said.
The reseeding effort focused on two areas within the burn scar, including approximately 275 acres at the south end of Greasewood Gulch near the Greasewood Compressor Station off County Road 3/3A, and an additional 250 acres along Little Coral Gulch.
Pawlikowski said the areas were selected in part because they overlap priority habitat for greater sage-grouse.
“The primary goal of this seeding effort is to improve wildlife habitat,” Pawlikowski said. “We believe these acres burned with lower soil burn severity so that the grasses will re-sprout; however, forbs and sage-grouse recovery is relatively long and, without intervention, would not be suitable to support pre-fire grouse populations.”
Volunteers spread native forb species — commonly known as wildflowers — including Utah sweetvetch, Rocky Mountain penstemon, arrowleaf balsamroot and Rocky Mountain beeplant. These species are expected to support pollinators and improve habitat for a variety of wildlife.
“If this seeding is successful, we will see a greater diversity of plant species blooming at the site,” Pawlikowski said. “If the site continues to recover, we might see increased wildlife use as species move back into these sites post-fire.”
Pawlikowski said the turnout reflected strong community support for restoring the area.
“Yes, it was great to have so many people and partners come to support this effort,” she said. “We understand many people value the Piceance Basin and want to help it recover from the Lee wildfire and are grateful they are willing to donate their time to this effort.”
Youth participation played a significant role in the project.
“It is essential to have youth involvement in conservation and restoration,” Pawlikowski said. “It helps foster an appreciation for public lands and helps instill the idea that many great things can be accomplished at local-scales.”
Students who participated said the experience provided a new perspective on land stewardship.
Jacob Roberts, a student at Meeker High School, said the day showed him the level of planning required for successful restoration.
“What surprised me most was how much planning and effort goes into restoring land properly,” Roberts said. “It’s not just scattering seed — people have to think about the right seed mix, the timing, and the conditions so native plants can actually take hold and help the land recover.”
Roberts said the project also highlighted the importance of caring for public lands.
“Public lands belong to everyone, and young people are the ones who will inherit them in the future,” he said. “Getting involved early helps build a sense of responsibility and appreciation for the land so it stays healthy for the next generations.”
He added that the experience was meaningful on a personal level.
“It means a lot to be able to give back to the place where I live,” Roberts said. “Projects like this make you feel connected to the land and to the community, knowing that even a small amount of work can help restore something that benefits everyone.”
Roberts described the day as rewarding.
“It felt good to spend the day doing hands-on work that will have a long-term impact on the health of the land,” he said.
Norah Loar, another student from Meeker High School, said she was motivated to volunteer after joining the school’s National Honor Society.
“What made me decide to volunteer was that it was the first volunteer work available to me via NHS after joining,” Loar said.
She said she had limited prior experience with restoration work.
“I had only participated in one other land restoration project with the VFW and that was at a school field trip in middle school where we learned about ecology,” she said.
While much of the day was spent spreading seed, Loar said she gained insight through observation.
“We didn’t learn much about soil health and native plants as we worked most of the day,” she said. “However from observations I made I concluded that although we had around 22,000 seeds less than half of them were actually going to be successful.”
Loar added that she participated alongside other National Honor Society members, though the event was open to the broader community.
The project was also supported by the Mule Deer Foundation, which emphasized the importance of restoring habitat for wildlife following the wildfire.
India Barker of the Mule Deer Foundation said the organization saw the effort as an opportunity to help restore a landscape critical to wildlife.
“MDF is aware of the impact that the Lee Fire had on local communities and habitats in Northwest Colorado,” Barker said. “When the BLM approached us, we were excited about the opportunity to partner with them and other local groups to begin restoring this landscape which is vital to wildlife.”
Barker said collaboration plays a key role in successful conservation efforts.
“Partnership is hugely important to us as it allows us to multiply our impact on the ground,” she said. “We all bring different assets to the table but share a common goal of maintaining healthy landscapes and wildlife populations.”
She said restoring vegetation benefits wildlife in several ways, including reducing erosion and providing food and cover.
“These forbs provide a high-protein food source for mule deer in the spring and summer,” Barker said. “Moving into winter, their diets shift towards browse and shrubs such as sagebrush, mountain mahogany and bitterbrush.”
Barker added that reseeding helps accelerate recovery by reestablishing native plant communities.
“Seeding helps to kickstart the process of re-establishing a native plant community,” she said. “After some time, the hope is that we will have a healthy native plant community which provides food and cover for wildlife of all sizes.”
While some results may be visible as early as this spring, Barker said long-term recovery will take time.
“As is the case with most habitat work, it may take seasons or years to see a lasting impact on the landscape, with a wildlife response to follow that,” she said.
The White River and Douglas Conservation District also partnered in the effort, working alongside the BLM to support both public and private land restoration.
Executive Director Vanessa Trout said restoring vegetation after the wildfire is critical to protecting soil and water resources.
“The Districts partnered with BLM on their re-seeding efforts because restoring vegetation after the Lee fire helps stabilize soils, protect watersheds, and improve rangeland and wildlife habitat across public and private lands,” Trout said. “Working together supports a faster recovery of the burn scar and long-term benefits.”
Trout said the districts assisted with spreading seed on public land while also helping private landowners reseed their properties.
“On the public land, we worked alongside the BLM to help spread seed across the Lee fire burn area so vegetation can recover and soils stay in place,” she said. “At the same time, our wildfire recovery programs are assisting private landowners to reseed so their landscape can recover more quickly.”
Spreading thousands of pounds of seed across the burn area will help stabilize soil, reduce erosion and protect the watershed connected to the White River while vegetation reestablishes, Trout said.
In addition to the volunteer effort, the BLM has aerially seeded approximately 24,000 acres across the burn scar to further support recovery efforts.
Although it may take years to fully see the results, organizers say the work completed by volunteers marks an important step in helping the land recover and ensuring the long-term health of the region’s public lands.
About 30 volunteers — private citizens and members of various agencies — took part in a reseeding event on the Lee Fire burn scar. Reseeding helps re-establish a native plant community in burned areas, providing erosion protection, stabilizing soils, and improving wildlife and range habitat. VANESSA TROUT PHOTO
Volunteers spread native seed by hand while an aircraft conducts aerial seeding over portions of the Lee Fire burn area as part of a restoration effort to stabilize soils and support vegetation recovery. KRISTIN ROSS BLM PHOTO
