Robert Sissons, Biologist, Waterton Lakes National Park Five Needle Pine Restoration Activities in the Rocky Mountain National Parks of Canada

- Introduction to region - Parks Canada mandate - Restoration activities - Jasper - Mt. Revelstoke, Glacier - Banff, Yoho, Kootenay - Waterton Lakes - Contacts Outline

The Rocky Mountain Parks of Canada

The Distribution of Whitebark Pine

The Distribution of Limber Pine

Parks Canada Mandate for Restoration Ecological integrity may be defined as "a condition that is determined to be characteristic of its natural region and is likely to persist, including abiotic components and the composition and abundance of native species and biological communities, rates of change and supporting processes“ 8. (2) Maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity.... shall be the first priority of the Minister when considering all aspects of the management of parks. 4. (1) The national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment.....

Parks Canada Mandate for Restoration “....To be truly successful, the process of ecological restoration will help provide for significant improvement of the state of the ecological integrity, opportunities for people to appreciate and experience the protected area, and engagement of the public in the process.”

Parks Canada Mandate for Restoration - In Parks Canada created the Action on the Ground Fund to improve Ecological Integrity in our National Parks (2004) - Mountain Parks jointly applied for and received funding for five-needle pine restoration - $1 million over five years (

Current Restoration Activities all Parks - Expand the Whitebark Pine distribution model (Dr. McDermid – U of C) to all Parks - currently Waterton, Revelstoke, and Glacier complete. - Expand identification of plus trees, cone protection and seed collection - Submit additional plus trees for rust resistance trials - Increase seedling propagation and planting - Inoculate seedlings with native fungi (Dr. Cripps) - Increase Visitor Experience program - Develop and implement prescribed burn plans in Whitebark habitat

Restoration Activities Jasper National Park of Canada 1) Completed monitoring for blister rust with the other parks 2) Conducted stand assessments for 4 locations - completed 100 tree surveys - and placed cages on 25 trees. Identified 18 potential rust resistant candidates. 3) Planning for future prescribed fire and planting 4) Developed and delivered a whitebark pine street theater regularly through the summer

Five Needle Pine Restoration Activities Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks 1) Collected roughly 10,000 seeds from 15 healthy whitebark pine trees, in six areas throughout Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho - will contribute seeds for rust resistance trials in BC (Yoho, Kootenay) 2) Continue to aid regeneration through fire restoration. 3) Determine red squirrel midden density (as an attractant to bears) and midden use by bears in whitebark pine stands in Banff National Park. 4) Collect DNA from scat to determine whether grizzly bears in BNP use whitebark pine seeds.

Restoration Activities Mt. Revelstoke & Glacier National Parks Caged several Plus trees in the spring with planned fall collection. In co-operation with the Province of BC: Will plant 500 Whitebark Pine seedlings in Glacier NP this fall. Will assess the rust resistance of trees as they develop over the next 5 years. Engaging Canadians programs: "Our Amazing Forests" Interpretive panels that will feature WBP are under development and will be fabricated this fall Skier education interpretive posters and pamphlets to be produced for the 2014/2015 ski season at Rogers Pass

Restoration Activities Waterton Lakes National Park 1)87 WBP and 33 LP plus trees identified to date 1)Protect plus trees with green leaf volatiles and Verbenone 2)Cone caging continues focusing on unsampled plus trees – only one tree in )~ 20 of each species sent for rust resistance testing 2)Planted ~ 4000 whitebark and ~3000 limber pine to date with aid of volunteers. 3)Whitebark planted in two areas that were burned – spot burning to mimic lightening strikes. Third site burned in September 2014 to be planted on Monday. 4) Developing a Geocaching program focusing on WBP – LP ecosystem destinations

Contacts Jasper National Park – Brenda Shepherd, Conservation Biologist, Banff National Park – Jane Park, Fire/Veg Specialist, Mt. Revelstoke & Glacier NP - Bryan Chruszcz, Conservation Biologist, Yoho & Kootenay NP – Jed Cochrane, Fire/Veg Specialist, Waterton Lakes NP – Robert Sissons, Vegetation Biologist,