In the Rockies, swaths of whitebark pine trees have been killed by wildfires, mountain pine beetles and a fungus called blister rust.
But even in the worst-hit areas, a few trees survived.
Duglo: “In the midst of these hundreds of dead trees, you'll see a green tree.”
He is McDouglo of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana.
He said whitebark pine provides important wildlife habitat. Their shade helps slow the melting of snow on the mountains. For downstream communities, this helps reduce the risk of spring flooding and summer water shortages caused by a warming climate.
So these tribes, along with the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies, are working to restore white-bark forests.
In areas affected by rust, tree climbers collect seeds from surviving trees and plant them in greenhouses.
The saplings are exposed to rust and monitored to ensure they are resistant. After a few years, healthy trees are planted outdoors.
Whitebark trees take decades to mature, so it's too early to tell whether these efforts will be successful.
Duglo: “We will not see the fruits of our labor in our lifetime, but our children and grandchildren will. That is why we do what we do. It is with this hope that we can make a difference .
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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