Seeds, sawmills at center of effort to save California forests and restore burned communities

From seed to sawmill, residents from Greenville, California, are pulling up their sleeves to rebuild their community after it was turned into ashes by the Dixie fire in July 2021.

The community will use a sawmill to turn millions of burned-down trees into affordable lumber. The sawmill will officially open in mid-May and contribute to the effort to save forests affected by wildfires with the help of a $360,000 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Randy Pew is a third-generation logger, and he’s taking part in rebuilding Greenville by using the natural resources available.

“We are trying to do what we can,” Pew told ABC News. “Lumber prices are so high and all these natural resources going to waste … something had to be done.”