Twenty Logan High School students joined state foresters and other volunteers to help plant 3,000 ponderosa pine seedlings on school trust lands at Beaver Mountain, an event organized by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) and SITLA. SITLA Forester Adam Robison introduced students to a recently-harvested project area and discussed how projects like these are an important part of sustainable forest management. FFSL Bear River Area Forester Morgan Mendenhall reviewed tree species found within the project area and demonstrated proper technique for planting the ponderosa seedlings. Working alongside his students, Logan High School science teacher Andrew Semadeni encouraged them to return to the area and follow the growth of the seedlings. “Activities like tree harvesting can provide the disturbance effect that a forest like this might normally experience through a natural wildfire,” stated Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Director and State Forester Brian Cottam. “Forests rely on disturbances to be healthy and resilient to both fire and invasive insect threats.” SITLA manages approximately 3,000 acres in the Beaver Mountain area on behalf of Utah’s K-12 public education system and Utah School for the Blind. All proceeds generated from commercial leasing on these lands are deposited into the $2.5 billion Permanent School Fund. Interest income generated from this fund is distributed annually to public schools. Last year, $74 million was distributed to K-12 schools statewide, including $2.19 million to schools in Cache and Rich counties.