Efforts to Replant Arizona’s Saguaro Cacti Surge Forward Four Years After Devastating Bush Fire

The saguaro cactus endures the hardships of nature by standing tall. The Tonto National Forest’s 193,455 acres are being used to transplant these unique cacti following the 2020 Bush Fire. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire destroyed over 80,000 saguaros and was the sixth largest in the state’s history.

Four years later, Tonto employees like Drew Ullberg and Bec Veerman are assiduously working to restore the Sonoran Desert’s original vegetation, motivated by a dedication to the area and its past. They have initiated federal funding projects and formed innovative partnerships with local businesses and nurseries. Their efforts to restore the destroyed saguaros population, in partnership with Natural Restorations and the National Forest Foundation, demonstrate their commitment to this cause.

Serendipitously, Arizona Wholesale Growers volunteered to support their effort. The corporation donated these survivors to the forest after undergoing its own fiery trials that rendered 80 saguaros unsellable. With an agreement between the Tonto and Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix to cultivate cactus from locally sourced seeds, the Tonto team is planning for the long run and intends to plant over 10,000 cacti by 2028. By 2028, Ullberg informed the U.S. Forest Service, “the targeted goal is to grow 10,000 or more cacti and replant them in the burn scar.”

Numerous groups have come together to back the Tonto’s efforts to replant. After the Bush Fire, the restoration effort for Save Our Saguaros was taken over by Natural Restorations, which was co-founded by Justin and Nicole Corey. This project became into a yearly event, and as of November 2024, 150 volunteers have planted 100 saguaros, increasing the total number of replanted saguaros to 2,283. More initiatives of this kind are being planned for 2025. “Natural Restorations and its team of veterans have been, and continue to be, the biggest contributor regarding replanting saguaros in the Bush Fire burn scar,” Veerman told the United States Forest Service.

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