2013 Growing & Shipping of 35M WBP Seedlings
Project: Growing and Shipping of 35M Whitebark Pine Seedlings
Agency/Forest or Park/District: Dubois and Teton Basin Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee N.F. within the Greater Yellowstone Area
Project coordinator: Avery Beyer
Contact
Avery Beyer, USDA Forest Service, Caribou-Targhee N.F., Teton Basin Ranger District, PO Box 777, 515 S. Main, Driggs, ID 83422, 208-354-6624, abeyer@fs.fed.us
Cooperators: Arbor Day
Source of funding /amount
FHP: $12,000 – was obligated to Coeur d’Alene Nursery for growing, lifting and shipping of seedlings.
Supplemental funding: Funding for these planting projects has been sourced from multiple cooperators. $58,800 comes from FS and Region 4 Post Wildland Fire Rehabilitation and Restoration Need sources. There is approx. $31,000 available from the Arbor Day Foundation which can be used to pay for planting costs not covered by FS or other contributors. A final distribution of funding will be provided upon completion of project.
Dates of restoration efforts
Five thousand WBP seedlings are scheduled to be planted in the Hill Creek area ofthe Teton Basin RD in spring/early summer of 2014. Thirty thousand seedlings are scheduled be planted fall of 2014 in the Winslow Fire area of the Dubois RD.
Objectives
As outlined in the Whitebark Pine Strategy for the Greater Yellowstone Area (WBPS) planting of whitebark pine is an objective to maintain and restore whitebark pine and to augment natural regeneration through planting (pg 8-9, 20). The Strategy was prepared in response to the current situation of whitebark ecosystems in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA). One of the objectives in the Whitebark Pine Strategy for the Greater Yellowstone Area is to “identify sites that will benefit from post-fire planting”, pg 10. This area is a high priority for restoration as identified in the WBPS, page 17 and in the DRAFT Mid-Scale Action Plan, 2012.
The funds from this proposal would be used to help pay for the growing of containerized whitebark pine seedlings at the Coeur d’Alene Nursery. Sowing request was submitted to the Nursery in early October 2012. Planting will take place in the fall of 2014 within the Winslow Burn of 2003. The fire burned at different intensities with some loss to whitebark pine understory and overstory. Within this burned area there is an opportunity take advantage of the still existing site prep from the fire and to put WBP back in an area which had WBP but has diminished due to blister rust, mountain pine beetle and a wildland fire.
The Hill Creek area consists of island of mature WBP and subalpine fir. In 2012, a crew dropped the competing subalpine fir. These trees and slash was dropped and moved to provide microsites for the planting for 5M whitebark pine seedlings.
Acres/ha treated
Growing of 40M whitebark pine seedlings for out-planting. Thirty thousand would be planted fall of 2014 in the Winslow Burned area and 5M would be planted in the Hill Creek area in Spring/Summer, 2014
Methods
Sites for planting of WBP seedlings have been identified.
Trees will be grown to specifications as outlined in Forest Service Handbook. Seedlings will be delivered and out-planted shortly thereafter.
We expect a high survival rate because of the planting techniques required of the planting contractor and previous successful whitebark pine plantings on the District within burned over areas.
Planting? If so, source of seedlings? Resistance?
Yes, in 2014. Seeds were collected from trees in an area showing a high resistance to blister rust.
Outcome
Unknown, planting is scheduled for spring and fall of 2014. Money was obligated for growing and shipping, trees have been sown but final survival rate of seedlings and delivery not known at this time.
Monitoring since completion of the project
Dates
Plans for future monitoring? Survival surveys are planned for 1, 3 and 5 years post planting.
Will outcome meet goals?
Unknown at this time.
Future actions/follow up?
See monitoring section.
