Greater Yellowstone Whitebark Pine Health Monitoring

Multiple agencies have contributed to a wide variety of monitoring programs for whitebark pine health on public lands. Although other efforts within the GYE have advanced our initial understanding of recent threats and concerns (e.g. white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle) to whitebark pine, differences in study designs and field methods make it difficult to make reliable comparisons across the region. This project represents a collaborative endeavor amongst managers and researchers from the Forest Service, Park Service, USGS and Montana State University to develop and implement a protocol for monitoring whitebark pine in a consistent and collaborative manner throughout the entire ecosystem. This will facilitate a unified effort to understand the status and trends of this important species at a regional scale.