Field survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) and monitoring for whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) on the Payette National Forest, Idaho, 2014 results

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In 2014, the Payette National (NF) funded projects to conduct field surveys for Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) in the general vicinity of Coin Mountain/Profile Gap northeast of Yellow Pine, and to establish additional whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) monitoring plots in locations where future mineral exploration activities may impact the species at the Golden Meadows Exploration Project area near Stibnite. Both species are on the Payette NF sensitive plant list. Field surveys for Sacajawea’s bitterroot took place in the Coin Mountain, Missouri Ridge, Cougar Peak, and Crater Peak areas. New locations for Sacajawea’s bitterroot were discovered on a subsidiary ridge approximately 0.4 mile (0.6 km) east of the Coin Mountain summit and also approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south of the summit. Both locations represented extensions to the previously known Sacajawea’s bitterroot occurrence at Coin Mountain. Sacajawea’s bitterroot was not found at any of the other survey areas. An unexpected discovery associated with the survey of Missouri Ridge was finding a new occurrence for bent-flower milkvetch (Astragalus vexilliflexus var. vexilliflexus), a Forest Service Region 4 watch list species for the Payette NF. The new bent-flower milkvetch occurrence consisted of a series of small patches scattered along approximately 0.4 mile (0.6 km) of narrow ridgecrest in the vicinity of USGS topographic point 8666, a high point along the Missouri Ridge complex. The occurrence supported 500 - 800 bent-flower milkvetch plants and was restricted to inclusions of relatively dark metamorphic rock in an area otherwise dominated by quartzite geology. <br> In light of conservation concerns for the species, the Payette NF initiated a monitoring program for whitebark pine in the Golden Meadows Exploration Project area in 2013. The objective of this monitoring program is to monitor the health and status of whitebark pine in areas potentially open to mineral exploration as part of the Golden Meadows Exploration Project. Baseline monitoring data were collected at two plots in 2013 and at one new plot established in 2014. Data collected in 2014 showed the health status of whitebark pine at the newly established plot to be affected by relatively low incidence of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), and by mortality related to mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) infestation and wildfire. Overall, baseline data collected at the three monitoring plots found white pine blister rust on 12% of the alive whitebark pine trees sampled, and mountain pine beetle to be the main mortality factor. Future monitoring results will be compared to these baseline values to help the Payette NF evaluate the status and trend of whitebark pine in the Golden Meadows Exploration Project area, and to assess compliance with management objectives to avoid the removal or damage to whitebark pine trees.

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Reference Code: U15MAN02IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Mancuso, M. 2015. Field survey for Sacajawea’s bitterroot (Lewisia sacajaweana) and monitoring for whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) on the Payette National Forest, Idaho. Report prepared by Mancuso Botanical Services for the Payette National Forest, McCall, ID. 16 pages plus appendices <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: MULTIPLE SPECIES <br>

Keywords: Sacajawea’s bitterroot, Lewisia sacajaweana, whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis <br>