Red Spruce Restoration

Red spruce and red spruce-northern hard-wood forests once dominated the highest elevations of West Virginia, covering more than 1 million acres. Extensive logging in the late 1800s and early 1900s reduced much of the spruce forests, which were replaced by hardwoods. Today, only about 29,600 acres of high-elevation red spruce forests remain in the state.

The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy helped establish and is an active collaborator with the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI). CASRI is a partnership of diverse interests with a common goal of restoring historic red spruce-northern hardwood ecosystems across the high elevation landscapes of Central Appalachia. It is comprised of private, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations which recognize the importance of this ecosystem for its ecological, aesthetic, recreational, economic, and cultural values.

Visit the CASRI website for more information about the red spruce ecosystem, its ecology, history, research, news and events where you can get involved with the effort.

Donate to the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Spruce Restoration Program now. Click here, then check “I would like to designate this donation to a specific fund,” and select Restore Red Spruce.