WA businesses turn to pine cone collectors to regrow burned forests [Video]

DARRINGTON, Wash. – Locals are being tapped to collect pine cones in an effort to store seeds to re-grow forests before wildfires destroy natural seed banks in the Pacific Northwest.

This fall, cone collectors hit mountainous locations in search of fresh pine cones around Darrington.

In a small wooded location near the city, FOX 13 Seattle caught up with Laura Henry as she and her daughter combed through the woods. They quickly stumble onto a squirrel’s cache of green cones.

“He must be young, he’s not too good at hiding them yet,” said Henry.

She digs through some sticks and dirt and unearths several dozen cones – noting that she’s found larger caches that extend more than a foot into the ground.

Those finds quickly turn into cash as buyers are keen to find seeds, the real value within the cones.

Collecting cones for cash is hardly new, though, there is more …