2016 Lolo Forestwide WBP Cone Collection
General Project Information
Project Title: Lolo Forestwide WBP Cone Collection
Project Dates: 2016
Year project implementation started:
How many more years is this project expected to continue, if any?
Project Contact: (Please provide complete information for primary contact(s), e.g., name, position, phone number, email, agency name, unit/sub-unit)
Mike Mueller, Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District, Lolo National Forest, 408 Clayton/P.O. Box 429, Plains, MT 59859; (406) 826-4353; mlmueller@fs.fed.us
Location (Land management agency or ownership and name of geographic area(s) where project was implemented. This information should be specific enough to identify a general project location on a map but not specific enough to compromise the project.)
Lolo National Forest
Cooperators: (List cooperating agencies and sub-units, other companies/organizations, and individuals as needed.)
Project Funding
Funding Sources (amount FHP/amount other incl. in-kind)
Forest Health Protection funding $20,178
Other funding $ 3,000
Total $23,178
Did Whitebark Restoration funding get used or obligated? (If not, please explain.) Yes
Project Details
Scope and/or Size of Project or Treated Area: (Include a short description of the project or treatment area if helpful in understanding the scope of the project.)
Number of Acres or Other Units Treated, Monitored, or Surveyed:
Collected cones from 28 whitebark pine trees in two different locations in 2016.
Specific location of project or treated area(s): (If desired, add more specific project location information here, e.g., UTMs, Lat-long, specific landmark. Otherwise, indicate if more information is available by request.)
Mink Peak and Cougar Peak, Lolo National Forest, Montana
Objective(s) (from original request):
Planting: (Please answer the following questions if the project includes plantings or cone collections.)
Number of seedlings planted (List by location if applicable): N/A
Was the seed source screened for resistance? (If other, explain.)
The Mink Peak site is undergoing rust screening. The Cougar Peak site has undergone rust screening and is ranked 18th in the INLA Selkirk/Cabinet seed zone.
Were Plus trees used?
Results/Outcome:
In the last two years, we collected 13.5 bushels of whitebark pine cones. Last year, the 4 bushels of cones from Stark Mtn. yielded 11.5 lbs. of seed. This year, we collected 11 bushels of cones from two locations: Cougar Peak and Mink Peak. Mink Peak is a new location that we haven’t collected operationally from in the past, but is currently going through rust screening at the Coeur D’ Alene nursery.
Project Status (Is the project complete? If not, what remains to be accomplished and when?
Approximately $6,046.00 is left on the contract which is enough money for one more 20-tree collection in the summer of 2017.
Will outcome meet objectives?
Yes, we have collected a total of 13.5 bushels so far, and anticipate collecting from another 20 trees next year.
Project Follow-Up
Are there plans for monitoring or follow-up? (If not, please explain.)
We plan to monitor how the seeds perform when out planted as seedling.
Changes Needed or Problems Encountered: None