2015 Reforestation and Pre-planting Surveys – High Priority Restoration Areas

General Project Information

Project Title: Reforestation and Pre-planting Surveys – High Priority Restoration Areas

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)

Ellen Jungck, ejungck@fs.fed.us, 307-455-4164

Shoshone National Forest, Wind River/Washakie RD, PO Box 186, Dubois, WY 82513

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.)

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Custer-Gallatin National Forest

Shoshone 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                    $10,000

Other funding                                                $19,000

Total                                                            $29,000

Did Whitebark Restoration funding get used or obligated? (If not, please explain.)

All whitebark restoration funds were used or obligated.

 

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:

221 plots were surveyed over 1,185 acres:

Beaverhead-Deerlodge           66 plots over 597 acres

Custer-Gallatin                     114 plots over 230 acres

Shoshone                              41 plots over 358 acres

 

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):

Survey areas were selected based on their classification as high priority for restoration as defined in the Whitebark Pine Strategy for the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYCC WBP 2011) and its subsequent adaptive action plan. These areas were surveyed to determine the most appropriate places for planting, certification of naturals, and daylighting/fire protection. In areas deemed most appropriate for planting (e.g., recent fire areas), pre-planting surveys were conducted to determine percent plantable ground for ordering seedlings for planting. In areas deemed most appropriate for certification of naturals and daylighting, regeneration surveys were conducted in order to determine trees per acre of all species to certify natural regeneration and to assist in determining costs and the best method for daylighting (e.g., force account, contract, type of equipment, etc.).

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.)

Were Plus trees used?

Results/Outcome:

1,185 acres of 6,400 acres (19%) of surveys were completed. The forests gained knowledge about the status of natural regeneration and plantable ground within the survey areas. The forests are planning on planting or competition removal as appropriate for each surveyed site.

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

Of the completed acreage, the three respective forests will plan for planting and or competition removal in whitebark pine stands and continue to survey areas that were uncompleted this fiscal year and over the next few fiscal years or as budget allows.

Will outcome meet objectives? Yes

 

Project Follow-Up

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

These surveys will not need any monitoring or follow-up. When management activities such as planting or weeding occur, appropriate agency monitoring activities will be conducted post treatment.

Changes Needed or Problems Encountered:

The forests originally planned to hire a two-person crew with a crew lead and crew member.  Since the timing of receiving funding did not coincide well with seasonal hiring timelines (all certifications were issued and or closed for seasonal hiring when funding was received) there were no people available for hire for this specific project. Two of the forests used their regular seasonal crews to conduct surveys while one forest hired a strike team to complete the surveys. Whitebark restoration funding was used to cover salary for seasonal crews along with per diem for strike team members. The difficulty this created was not having one consistent crew to cover all the plots to be completed; crew members worked as they were available between other agency job duties.

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

Final data is not yet fully loaded into databases for output. This will be available in the winter of FY2016.