The bishop pine forest we see today naturally sprung back after that wildfire. Now, the forest is 80 years old, and the dying bishop pines are being replaced by oak and bay.

The Forest Service’s latest update on the longleaf pine ecosystem estimates that 421,000 acres of longleaf pine have been reestablished throughout the South since 2012.

The largest natural bishop pine forest in the world is in Tomales Bay State Park in Point Reyes. Just like the groves of their majestic cousins, the coastal redwoods, bishop pine forests can last for ...