2010 Heller Cascade Sowing

Project: Heller Cascade Sowing

Agency/Forest or Park/District: USFS, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, St. Joe Ranger District (Avery, Idaho)

Project coordinator:  Sidnee Dittman

Contact:  Sidnee Dittman, sdittman@fs,fed.us,  #208-245-6248

Cooperators: CDA Nursery and St. Joe Ranger District

Source of funding /amount

FHP: $14,000

Supplemental funding:  $9,175;

1. NFVW $2,750.00 (collected seed in ’03 and ’06)

2. WBP Restoration Project $3,300.00 (collected seed in 2007)

3. Fuel dollars $3,125.00 (site preparation)

Dates of restoration efforts

Sow seedlings at Coeur d’Alene Nursery in 2010.  Fall plant in late September-early October 2012.

Objectives

To enhance and increase the whitebark pine component in a recent ecosystem burn area. To sow whitebark pine seedlings to plant along the Idaho-Montana Divide in a site that historically had a high component of whitebark pine and is currently losing/lost its whitebark pine due to white pine blister rust, fire suppression, Mountain Pine Beetle and competition from other conifers species.

Acres treated

41 acres

Methods

Sow 7,000 seedlings to plant approximately 25 acres at 250 to 300 trees per acre.

Planting

We planted 41 total acres at 200 to 300 trees per acre.

Source of seedlings

Simmons Peak

Resistance

Yes.  Field evaluated and collected from healthy trees with no signs of White Pine Blister Rust.

Outcome

Excellent, the seeds had a high germination rate and we actually ended up with 9,500 seedlings.  We planted 41 total acres at 200 to 300 trees per acre via contract on 9-25-12 and 9-29-12.

Monitoring since completion of the project

We installed 250 wooden stakes next to 250 seedlings (survival stake row) after planting.  We then surveyed these in the Fall of 2013, after one growing season at which 76% survived, which is moderate to high survival for WBP.  We will continue with monitoring in 2015 and 2017.

Regeneration surveys (post treatment monitoring surveys) were completed in the Fall of 2013.  We will continue to monitoring for survival and competition from less desirable species in 2015, 2017 and well into the future.     

Will outcome meet goals?

If they survive to maturity and produce cones with viable seed then we will have met our goal.