2008 Operational Cone Caging and Collecting

Project: Operational Cone Caging and Collection

Agency/Forest or Park/District: Lolo NF

Project coordinator: John Errecart

Contact

John Errecart, Plains/T. Falls R.D. – Lolo N.F.

408 Clayton Ave. P.O. Box 429, Plains, MT. 59859

406-826-4316, jerrecart@fs.fed.us

Cooperators

Flathead, Bitterroot & Idaho Panhandle National Forests

Source of funding /amount

FHP: $20,280

Supplemental funding: $7,575 appropriated Forest Service NFVW Funding.

Dates of restoration efforts

Caging July 17, 18 & 20^th. Cone collections August 26^th and 28^th 5 bushels collected.

Objectives

Collect WBP seed to facilitate outplanting of Blister Rust Resistant seedlings for any cooperator within the seed zone(s) collected.

Acres/ha treated

2 of the 3 remaining Seed Zones on the Lolo that were not collected from in 2007 (Selkirk/Cabinets, Missions/Glacier Park or Central Montana).

Methods

In 2007 the Lolo, working with the West Zone Acquisition Group (Flathead, Lolo & Bitterroot) developed a multi-year contract for cone caging and collection (and other like services). The contract was successfully utilized in 2007 for operational collection in the Clark Fork/Lolo Pass WBP seed zone funded by restoration project funds resulting in over 33 pounds of seed collected. Cone surveys will occur in early-mid June with caging to start soon after. Minimum collection standards will average 25 cones per tree and a minimum of 20 trees per seed zone. If cone crop doesn’t develop in 2008 dollars will be obligated to a 2009 collection. Seed zones will be prioritized for collection by status of areas with available planting sites (current priority: Selkirk/Cabinets (2008) then Missions/Glacier Park (2009), and then Central Montana (2010) zone).

Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance? No

Monitoring since completion of the project

No monitoring related to cone collection

Dates

Plans for future monitoring?

Miscellaneous comments

To my knowledge, having been doing this for a dozen years or so, our database of record is FACTS. That is where we record our accomplishments and a final report is not required, it is optional.