2014 Adams Creek Whitebark Pine Orchard Maintenance
Project: Adams Creek Whitebark Pine Orchard Maintenance
Agency/Forest or Park/District: Lewis and Clark National Forest
Project coordinator: Tanya E. Murphy, USFS
Contact: Tanya E. Murphy, Forest Silviculturist; USDA Forest Service; Lewis and Clark National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1101 15th St. N, Great Falls, MT 59401; 406-791-7753; temurphy@fs.fed.us
Cooperators:
Source of funding/amount FHP: $7,500 of WBP funding was received; $6,884 of in-kind services was provided by the FS (salaries and travel). Whitebark pine restoration funds were spent as planned (salaries, travel, equipment, supplies, and signs).
Dates of restoration efforts: Throughout the year.
Objectives: Continue to develop, improve and maintain the Adams Creek Whitebark Pine Seed Orchard.
Acres/ha treated: 1.1 acres; Lewis and Clark National Forest, White Sulphur Springs Ranger District, Little Belt Mountains, Central Montana Seed Zone; lat-long: T12N R8E S5
Methods: Grafting, orchard maintenance, and removal of competing vegetation.
Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance? Yes, 120 rust resistant grafts. Additional grafts will be ready to plant this next fall (2015).
Outcome: This project is ongoing; there were several upgrades and accomplishments made throughout the year. The orchard has been properly protected with an improved fence, increasing the stability by installing several 12 foot posts, and adding roughly 1000 feet of galvanized fence around the bottom half to protect from small varmints, and purchased components to add electricity. All the planting sites have been permanently monumented with carsonite posts. Continual watering and planting of additional grafts was accomplished. The excess grafts planted outside the orchard were added to the irrigation system. Removal of all conifers within 30 feet around the orchard was accomplished with the new brush cutter, and competing vegetation from around each planting site was cleared with the new weed eater. Recreationists that are in the area are now properly informed of the orchard activities by the new signs purchased and displayed, therefore deterring any vandalization or property damage.
Monitoring since completion of the project:
Dates:
Plans for future monitoring? Continued follow-up on a yearly basis for the life of the orchard.
Will outcome meet goals? The orchard is looking better than ever. The continual work performed on a daily basis for a month’s time by a technician has increased the long term viability and success of the orchard. This was only accomplished through the funding granted for the many maintenance items completed last year. We also had two work days in the orchard which included some serious manual labor but was very satisfying.
Future actions/follow up: Tensioning straps could be added to a few key places along the fence. In the future, we would also like to build a shed or large box for storage of the tools that are regularly used. The electric fence needs to be installed. Additional irrigation parts could be purchased as well.
Miscellaneous comments:
