THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT ECOSYSTEM HIGH FIVE WORKING GROUP Restoration Strategy Progress Update

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1 THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT ECOSYSTEM HIGH FIVE WORKING GROUP Restoration Strategy Progress Update National Whitebark Pine Restoration Strategy Summit Missoula, MT November 7, 2017 Melissa Jenkins U.S. Hi5 Working Group Co-Chair USFS Flathead NF

2 60 % of area is in public lands No know extinctions since Lewis and Clark

3 CCE is Administratively Complex Jurisdictions First Nations & Tribal Lands National Parks US Bureau of Land Management Municipal Government Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Federal Plum Creek (Weyerhaeuser) Private Land Private Conservation Provincially Protected State Trust US Fish & Wildlife US Forest Service

4 WBP HEALTH STATUS AND TRENDS IN THE CROWN Canada and Glacier NP (Smith et al. 2013) Blister Rust infection levels ~80% Bob Marshall Wilderness (Keane 2015) Trend % decline in live trees 90% decrease in live but unhealthy trees 137% increase in number of dead trees British Columbia (Moody and Murray 2015) CCE WBP most unhealthy of all regions in BC with less than 10% of the trees healthy.

5 First Meeting of the CCE Hi5 WG Sept 2016

6 CCE High-Five Working Group Subcommittees Loss Mitigation Inventory and Monitoring Restoration Strategy and Action Plan Protected Area Restoration Strategy Fire Management Communications Strategy

7 CCE Hi5 Working Group 1 st Year Accomplishments and Progress

8 Inventory and Monitoring Subcommittee Progress Create a CCE-wide inventory and monitoring database. Where is it, what condition is it in? PROGRESS UPDATE: Developed predictive distribution modeling for whitebark pine and limber pine for the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.

9 Fine scale predictive model Based on point data from multiple jurisdictions 29,824 km 2 41% of CCE Available on ScienceBase.gov talog/item/51102e04e4b048b5c ead853b Credit: Shannon Blackadder, CMP

10 Fine scale predictive model Based on point data from multiple jurisdictions 15,017 km 2 20% of CCE talog/item/51102e04e4b048b5c ead853b Credit: Shannon Blackadder, CMP

11 Protected Area Restoration Subcommittee Progress Develop recommendations to guide approaches for whitebark/limber pine restoration in highly protected areas Work with the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute decision framework to identify triggers/thresholds for action Emphasize transparency and uncertainty of science during decision making PROGRESS UPDATE: Once the restoration strategy identifies what activities are proposed in wilderness areas, they will start the process Rust killed stand-bob Marshall

12 Fire Management Subcommittee Progress Develop recommendations to guide pro-active fire management in whitebark and limber pine forests. PROGRESS UPDATE: Guidelines and Best Practices for Managing Fire in Whitebark Pine Stands in the Crown of the Continent, June Provides guidance on what to do before during and after wildfires to aid in WBP restoration. Before: Fuel treatments, develop fire plans that identify high priority wbp areas, use Rx fire to reduce losses, protect rust resistant trees During: Suppress fire around plus trees, remove fuels around high value stands After: Plant rust resistant seedlings, assess mycorrhizae

13 Communication Strategy Subcommittee Progress Raise awareness and support for whitebark and limber pine restoration and conservation. PROGRESS UPDATE: A framework for the strategy has been developed. Current focus on developing talking points to communicate the Why.

14 Loss Mitigation Subcommittee Progress Develop a mitigation strategy and best management practices to avoid loss of whitebark and limber pine or habitat degradation Focus on commercial/ industrial activity PROGRESS UPDATE: In July 2017, the subcommittee completed a draft Beneficial Management Practices for Whitebark and Limber Pine document. Document is currently under review.

15 Restoration Strategy Subcommittee Progress Develop a Crown-wide restoration strategy and action plan. PROGRESS UPDATE: Information needs assessment completed Identified Needs: Prioritize areas for protection/restoration Incorporate clear restoration guidelines Identify mechanisms for sharing resources Identified knowledge gaps Strategy workshop being held in conjunction with the National Restoration Strategy Summit

16 Thank you to all of the CCE High Five Working Group members for your contributions to our progress! To learn more visit our Hi5 Working Group page on Crown Managers Partnership website: