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Whitebark pine trees added to Endangered Species list as 'threatened' – Daily Montanan [1]

['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- December']

Date: 2022-12-14  

The United States Forest Service has officially listed the whitebark pine tree as a threatened species as part of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

The iconic and essential tree is found throughout the U.S. West and Canada and is a staple for many species, including the grizzly bear. According to the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation, it’s the most widely distributed tree species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

“The Service has concluded that the whitebark pine is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future,” said a press release by the United States Forest Service.

Most of the whitebark pine is found on federal public land, which should, in theory, make the process of saving the species easier. A spokesman for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said the decision to list the trees won’t change how the department operates.

The whitebark pine is listed as “endangered” under the “Species at Risk Act” in Canada, too.

“This brings much-needed attention to the plight of the remarkable tree and builds further public support for the challenging restoration ahead,” said David Neale, foundation director and emeritus professor of plant sciences at University of California-Davis.

The tree grows slowly and lives a long time, but an introduced fungus and climate change have decimated its numbers. In the northern Rockies, scientists have estimated 90 percent of the trees have been lost to white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetles. Warm winter temperatures have not culled the number of insects that prey on the wispy, twisty white-colored pine tree.

“As a keystone species of the West, extending Endangered Species Act protection to whitebark pine is critical to not only the tree itself, but also the numerous plants, animals and watersheds it supports,” said USFS Regional Director Matt Hogan. “The Service now looks forward to continuing engagement with the many whitebark pine conservation partners during the recovery planning process.”

The foundation said it hopes that there’s time to implement restoration tools and management techniques, including disease-resistant seedlings and prescribed fire and forest thinning.

The decision by the USFWS triggers a recovery plan that will be coordinated across multiple states and federal jurisdictions to restore them.

The whitebark pine thrives in windy, cold, high elevations is not only a critical food source, but also prevents soil erosion from snow run-off and melt. The USFS estimates that more than half of all whitebark pine trees standing are dead.

The protections for the trees now make it illegal to remove, possess or damage the tree on federal lands.

“Unlike the prohibitions on federal lands, it remains legal to remove or possess whitebark pine on non-federal lands as long as those activities are permitted under state law,” the Forest Service said.

The Forest Service is also not designating critical habitat for the species because habitat loss is not a threat.

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