Skeena Region Whitebark Pine Seed Collection

Whitebark pine is an important, and endangered, component of diverse and resilient higher elevation forests in inland portions of the southern Skeena Region. Whitebark pine is important for wildlife and considered a keystone species because it's often the first to establish on disturbed sites and enables the growth of other tree species. There's a shortage of registered seeds collected from parent trees showing resistance to the deadly white pine blister rust. This project focused on taking advantage of a good seed crop, which occur once every 10 years or so in Skeena Region, and involved region-wide seed collection. FESBC funding was used to collect seeds to be used for plantings on disturbed higher elevation sites where the primary goal is site rehabilitation and carbon storage.