The Wildlife News

whitebark pine

  • Grizzly Managers Spin Whitebark Pine Woes: Just How Important is Whitebark to Yellowstone Bears?

    Ken Cole

    Very important. Interesting post by NRDC’s Louisa Wilcox about how the science shows how critical whitebark pine nuts are for grizzlies and how the managers talk out of both sides of their mouth. “In its August 9th legal brief challenging the 2009 ruling by Federal Judge Donald Molloy that required relisting of the Yellowstone grizzly…

  • Feds to consider endangered status for whitebark pine

    Ralph Maughan

    Critical pine in grizzly nutrition is in steep decline. May get endangered listing- Whitebark pine is in dire straights and it may well get on the endangered species list, but what then?  How do you save a tree so beset with disease and insect attacks with an ESA listing? Story in the LA Times. Feds…

  • Whitebark Pine May Gain Federal Protection

    Ken Cole

    Tree, important for grizzly bears, affected by global warming, insects, and fungus The whitebark pine is a tree that lives at high elevations and was historically unaffected by pine beetles but due to global warming this has changed. Also, blister rust, an introduced fungal infection has taken a large toll on the trees. The pine…

  • Giant whitebark pine in south central Idaho get protection from beetles

    Ralph Maughan

    Trees to receive ” ‘verbenone pouches’ that contain a synthetic pheromone to trick beetles into thinking the trees are already full of beetles”- Fighting pine bark beetles is very expensive, but these giant, ancient trees have been determined to be worth it. Good news! Whitebarks in Pioneers [Pioneer Mountains] get protection from beetles. Associated Press.

  • NRDC sues to list the whitebark pine

    Ralph Maughan

    Beetle kill, fires and fungus have greatly reduced the high altitude pine- Anyone following this forum for a while knows the story of the plight of the whitebark pine. Now the Natural Resource Defense Council has sued to put in on the endangered species list. Group sues over whitebark pine endangered petition. By Mead Gruver. …

  • Fed judge says Greater Yellowstone grizzlies must go back on list!

    Brian Ertz

    GYE grizzly bears go back on the threatened species list- Molloy: Feds must restore protection for grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park – By Matthew Brown. Associated Press. The successful plaintiff was the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. There is a second lawsuit filed in Idaho by a number of other conservation groups. It was assigned to…

  • Wyoming whitebark pine cone crop looking good

    Ralph Maughan

    Vigorous production of cones spells very good news for grizzly bears- Although the majority of whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone has died off or burned in recent years, there are still enough for the grizzlies in those years when conditions are optimal for cone production. There is a long and strong data set showing…

  • Bridger-Teton National Forest to map beetle-killed whitebark pine

    Ralph Maughan

    It’s critical for grizzly bear management to see where pine bark beetles have not killed this extremely valuable, bear food source in the Greater Yellowstone- Bridger-Teton to map beetle-killed whitebark. Forest Service partners with conservation group to quantify the damage. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole News and Guide.

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