Focus Areas

Project Focus Areas and Restoration Objectives

 Assessing Health: Survey and Monitoring

Projects that will help determine the forest health conditions of whitebark pine in areas with little or no data, or help monitor changes in whitebark pine abundance or health over time. (There will need to be a long term commitment to re-measure permanent plots with other funding).

Operational Cone collections

Cone collections in high risk whitebark pine populations for regeneration purposes (this is different than plus tree cone collections which is in focus area “C”).

Harnessing Rust Resistance

(i.e. plus tree selection and cone collections, scion collection, and rust screening). Projects that will help identify rust resistance in different whitebark pine seed zones.

Enhancing Regeneration and Reducing Competing Vegetation

Projects that will enhance the vigor and survival of existing whitebark pine (such as daylighting), encourage natural regeneration, or involve growing and out planting seed or seedlings.

Special Projects

Projects that will provide information about whitebark pine ecology, blister rust epidemiology in whitebark pine, or other issues related to whitebark pine restoration.

Education/outreach/technology transfer

Projects specifically designed to increase awareness of whitebark pine issues and restoration needs or disseminate technology to improve restoration methods.