TITLE: THE PENNY PINES PROGRAM IN OUR NATIONAL FOREST: The Penny Pines Program was initiated in 1941 in California as a way to replenish the forest by planting seedlings that were paid for by civic organizations. The program was called Penny Pines because in 1941 a seedling cost one penny, and although there are other cooperative planting programs in other states Penny Pines is unique to California. The minimum donation for the program has been $68 since its inception and was based upon the theory that 680 seedlings at one penny each were planted per acre so ten acres would be the $68. There are a couple of areas in the San Bernardino National Forest where Penny Pines Plantations exist, and those areas have signs marking the replanted acres and the service organizations which have contributed. This week’s image shows the Penny Pines Plantation sign on Highway 173 just past Rock Camp, with the placards attached for specific contributing organizations and individuals. The program also permits donations by friends or family to memorialize individuals. The first Penny Pines Plantation in the San Bernardino National Forest was started in 1958 in the Converse Flats area chiefly to reforest acreage destroyed in the 1945 fire. District 11 of the California Garden Clubs was the primary sponsor with local Boy Scouts involved in the actual planting. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) manages the National Forests which play a significant role in the Penny Pines Plantations by clearing land, acquiring the proper seedlings, and erecting the signs. Seeds and acorns in the area of the planned reforestation are used to create the seedlings that are later planted. This allows a higher survival rate for the seedlings. The Penny Pines Program is a great example of the public and our National Forests working together to sustain our forests. There is more information about the Penny Pines Program on the San Bernardino National Forest website.