I volunteer with a local organization that plants native trees (mostly Oak varieties) in the area.

Over the years they have developed a pretty elaborate system for planting saplings to maximize their odds of taking root and maturing into grown trees.

The process involves digging the right sized hole, placing a fertilizer packet at the bottom, repacking the dirt around the plant, protecting the sapling from deer and rodents using a chicken wire fence and a tall translucent plastic tube that’s supported by a steel rebar driven into the dirt. Then building a small berm around to capture water and covering it with mulch. They claim these steps increase odds of survival to 95%+.

Point being that it might take more than shooting seeds into the ground to regrow a forest.