Heirloom apple variety saved following devastating Carr Fire

Whiskeytown's orchard in the Tower House District dates back to pioneer times.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area’s Tower House Historic District is home to historic orchard trees which represent some of the oldest surviving remnants of Whiskeytown’s pioneer past and today serve as an important repository of heirloom fruit tree cultivars.

The Carr Fire began on July 23, 2018, approximately one mile east of the District. Aggressive firefighting efforts were no match for the extreme fire behavior and about 60% of the orchard trees were lost in the fire.

Left: A park employee assesses the post fire impacts to an historic apple tree one month after the 2018 Carr Fire. Right: A park employee plants an apple seedling after the Carr Fire in 2021.

Fortunately, after the fire, park resource management staff and a local arborist took apple scions (cuttings) from the remaining historic trees while they were still alive. In partnership with Humboldt Cider Company and Friends of Redwood Acres, scions were grafted onto root stock. The grafting was successful, and the park transplanted seedlings into the historic orchard. The heritage variety apples, that could have all been lost to the Carr Fire, are once again growing and available for future generations to enjoy!

Invasive plant and fuels dollars have been used to supplement post-wildfire efforts by using goats to control invasive plants and fuels within the Tower House Historic District.

Since the Carr Fire, the park received over two million dollars in Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funds to stabilize immediate threats to life and safety and to help the native plant communities recover. The most exciting opportunity was the ability to use funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law BAR program in 2024 to help maintain and restore the historic landscape after the Carr Fire. In Fiscal Year 2024, $78,000 was spent to treat invasive plants and enhance native vegetation to protect the Tower House Historic District and its landscape including the orchards. An additional $84,000 is planned for Fiscal Year 2025 to continue these activities.

The most popular activity at the Harvest Festival held in the Tower House District is a tasting table, where visitors can taste and learn from a wide variety of apple and pear varieties.

Maintaining the historic district is not an easy task, but the staff at Whiskeytown is dedicated to preserving the historic resources and restoring the landscape. The true success is that park visitors are once again able to enjoy the Tower House Historic District, its historic orchard with its annual Harvest Festival, orchard tours, apple tasting and a variety of activities for all ages.