2016 FY16 Whitebark Pine Conservation at Crater Lake National Park

General Project Information

Project Title: FY16 Whitebark Pine Conservation at Crater Lake National Park

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)

Jen Beck, jen_beck@nps.gov, 541-594-3072

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.)

National Park Service, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

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                  $1,166

Other funding                                                $4,800

Total                                                               $5,966

 

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:

5 acres planted (480 seedlings), 14 new Parent trees collected from

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.)

Objective(s) (from original request):

Support continued Whitebark Pine conservation activities including:

1. a) New FY16 whitebark pine cone collections
2. b) New 2016 restoration outplanting of seedlings from rust-resistant trees

Planting: (Please answer the following questions if the project includes plantings or cone collections.)

Number of seedlings planted (List by location if applicable): 480

Was the seed source screened for resistance? (If other, explain.)  Yes

Were Plus trees used? Yes

Results/Outcome:

Fourteen trees (including five re-collection trees that previously had low filled seed and could not enter trials) had cones collected and will enter the rust-resistance screening process at the DGRC. Crater Lake NP conducted its fifth and sixth restoration planting including seedlings from rust-resistant parent trees.

Project Status (Is the project complete? If not, what remains to be accomplished and when?

The project is now complete.

Will outcome meet objectives?  Yes

 

Project Follow-Up

Are there plans for monitoring or follow-up? (If not, please explain.)

Yes. All Collection Trees are monitored annually (concurrently with verbenone application). All restoration out-plantings are also monitored on an annual basis.

Changes Needed or Problems Encountered:

We had planned on collecting from 15 new parent trees, but an injury in the field cut into our time as a tree climber was hit in the forehead with a carabiner from a lanyard and needed stitches. It all turned out fine, but it was a good reminder to have well-stocked first aid kits on hand. Also, early season storms in October really constricted our window for planting seedlings, but we managed to get them in. We had some ‘excess’ whitebark pine seedlings that we had hoped to plant around areas disturbed by road construction (not part of the restoration outplanting), but we didn’t have the weather window to get them in. We will be overwintering them (potting into larger containers come spring).

Sharing Results/Products/Outcomes: (Please include pertinent photos and links to any relevant reports or publications)

Thank you for supporting whitebark pine conservation at Crater Lake National Park!