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Overview
Basics
Basics
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a federally threatened conifer that grows in mixed conifer and subalpine forests across western North America. It provides high value wildlife habitat, modulates spring runoff, and stabilizes slopes. Threats include climate change, wildfire, mountain pine beetle outbreaks, and white pine blister rust. Collection of cones from apparent blister rust resistance trees is needed to screen for blister rust resistance and identify future operational cone collection trees. This project would involve cone production surveys, cone caging, and cone collection. Cones would subsequently be sent to USFS Nursery Facility to conduct white pine blister rust screening.
Planning/Design
2024
2025
2030
$250,000
Emma Williams (emma.williams@usda.gov)
12/16/2024
01/28/2026
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| Location Information | Location Notes |
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Organizations
EIP Details
EIP Basics
EIP Basics
02.02.01.0028 - Lake Tahoe Basin Whitebark Pine Cone Collection
This project is on the EIP 5-year list.
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Special Status Species Sites Protected or Re-Established | [Action Performed: Protected], [EIP Focal Species: Other priority species], [Site Type: High-priority ] | 1 | number |
Reported Performance Measures
Reported Performance Measures
Reported Performance Measure Accomplishments are not relevant for projects in the Planning/Design stage.
Funding
Expected Funding
Expected Funding
$250,000
$250,000
$0
($250,000 identified as )
| Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (USFS - LTBMU) | $500,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Grand Total | $500,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 |
Reported Expenditures
Reported Expenditures
| Total | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Tahoe Restoration Act | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Grand Total | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Photos
Other Details
Watersheds
No watersheds set for this project.
Threshold Categories
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Project supports recovery of whitebark pine stands. These are uncommon communities in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and require intervention to prevent extinction. Recovery of whitebark pine stands is dependent on identification of rust resistant seed trees, which is the primary objective of this project.
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Whitebark pine stablizes headwater slopes and capture and retain snow drifts late into the year. By capturing snow and reducing the rate it melts in the spring, whitebark pine stabilizes the hydrograph which is increasingly variable under a changing climate. Recovery of whitebark pine stands is dependent on identification of rust resistant seed trees, which is the primary objective of this project.
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Whitebark pine is a keystone species that provides nutritious seeds for bears, numerous bird species including clarke's nutcracker, and small mammal species such as pine squirrels. Whitebark pine grows at higher elevations than other conifers in the Lake Tahoe Basin, making it a critical species for maintaining wildlife habitat on upper ridgetops.
Local and Regional Plans
No Local and Regional Plans set for this project.
Related Projects
Related Projects
No Related Projects set for this project.
External Links
No external links entered.
Notes
Notes
| 12/03/2025 1:02 PM | Emma Williams | $250,000 of LTRA funding were secured in 2025. These funds will be used to identify and collect cones from whitebark pine with potential resistance to white pine blister rust. A contract package was prepared but could not be solicited or awarded due to short staffing and a narrow window between LTRA allocations and the government shutdown. The contract package is still in progress and the estimated award date is June 1, 2026. Heavenly Mountain Resort worked with the LTBMU to collect cones from 28 whitebark pine trees with potential rust resistance within the resort permit area. An LTBMU botanist and USFS ecologists identified candidate trees. Heavenly Mountain Resort contracted Sierra Ecotone Solutions and Ancient Forest Society to complete the cone collections. The cones were transfered to the USFS Placerville Nursery for seed extraction and storage. These seeds will be used to screen the candidate trees for resistance to white pine blister rust. If rust resistance is found in the candidate trees, those trees will be used for future cone collections for conservation plantings at Heavenly and other locations as a mitigation to the North Bowl Lift Replacement project. |
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| 12/16/2024 3:23 PM | Emma Williams | Project was developed in 2024 including drafting contract terms. Funding is being sought in 2025 to solicit contract and implement project in 2025-2030. |