2015 Whitebark Pine Seedling Out-Planting in Glacier National Park

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

           

General Project Information

Project Dates: 2015

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)

Dawn LaFleur, dawn_lafleur@nps.gov, 406-888-7864

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.)

Glacier National Park, MT

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                    $ 5,000

Other funding                                               $24,000

Total                                                            $29,000

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:

2.14 acres planted with 936 seedlings

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.)

Numa Lookout and Scenic Point

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): 936

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

Were Plus trees used? Yes

Results/Outcome:

This year we planted 936 whitebark pine seedlings at Numa Lookout and Scenic Point restoring 2.14 acres of whitebark pine habitat. All planting happened in the fall. Due to the early hot and dry spring, we did not plant WBP as originally anticipated.

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

This portion of GNP’s larger WBP restoration project is complete for FY’15.

Will outcome meet objectives?

Due to the unusually hot and dry conditions in the spring, we were unable to plant early. We were not able to meet our objective of restoring 5 acres with 3000 WBP this year. We have a larger amount of WBP seedlings that will be ready next year for planting. Hopefully, we will have a spring more conducive for planting.

 

Project Follow-Up

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

We will continue to monitor 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.

Changes Needed or Problems Encountered:

Hopefully, there will be a planting window this next spring.