2014 Whitebark Pine Seedling Out-Planting in Glacier National Park

Project:  Whitebark Pine Seedling Out-Planting in Glacier National Park

Agency/Forest or Park/District:  Glacier National Park, MT

Project coordinator:  Dawn LaFleur, NPS

Contact:  Dawn LaFleur; dawn_lafleur@nps.gov; 406-888-7864

Cooperators:  

Source of funding/amount FHP:  $5,000 in WBP funding was received; $21,000 in in-kind services was provided by the USFS; $3,000 in services were provided by the Montana Conservation Corp.

Dates of restoration efforts:  FY 2014

Objectives:  Plant and monitor 3000 “rust-resistant” whitebark pine seedlings.

Acres/ha treated:  9.56 acres; 4,176 seedlings; Numa, Firebrand Pass (lower), Firebrand Pass (higher), Spot Mountain, Scenic Point, Whitecalf Mountain, and Divide Creek

Methods:

Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance?  Yes. Plus trees used for seed source.

Outcome:  In October 2013, after the government shutdown ended, we made a concerted effort to get as many WBP seedlings in the ground as time and weather would permit. We were able to plant 1175 seedlings to treat 3.92 acres at the lower Firebrand Pass site. In June of 2014, we planted 879 WBP seedlings at Firebrand Pass, Spot Mountain and Scenic Point. During September 2014, 2122 seedlings were planted at Numa, Whitecalf, Divide Creek and at the upper Firebrand Pass site. Monitoring plots were put in at all of the new planting sites this year. This portion of GNP’s larger WBP restoration project is complete for FY14.

Monitoring since completion of the project:  

Dates:

Plans for future monitoring?  Every year we get a little bit better at logistics for planting WBP.  And our monitoring is showing us that we are also getting better at selecting appropriate sites for our plantings. Our survival rates are in the 90s after 2 years! Yes, we will continue monitoring the success of the WBP plantings.  Installed seedlings are monitored at year 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15. Monitoring plots have been established with all large WBP plantings.

Will outcome meet goals?  Yes, our objective was to plant and monitor “rust-resistant” WBP seedlings.

Future actions/follow up:  

Miscellaneous comments:  We were worried about weather but were able to find windows that allowed us to get a large number trees planted.