UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Region One

BR REPORTS Annual - 1956

WHITE PINE BLISTER CONTROL Calendar Year 1956

INF. IV. National Park Program

I. Highlights of the 1956 Season

The 1956 objectives of the National Park Service Region II white pine blister rust control program were accomplished. The program was planned and conducted as in previous years according to the cooperative arrangements between the Na- tional Park Service and the U. S. Forest Service.

National Park Service personnel participating: Glacier Elmer Fladniark, chief ranger *A. D. Cannavina, s~pervisory park ranger Paul Webb, district ranger

Yellowstone Otto Brown, chief ranger •~H. o. Edwards, assistant chief ranger Rocky Mountain: Harry During, chief ranger ->~Merle Stitt, staff ranger

Grand Teton '-'"Ernest K. Field, chief r~ger Maynard Barrows, National Park Service consulting forester U. s .. forest Service· representatives:

~John C. Gynn, forester C. M. Chapman, forester

The Na tionai Park Service Director approves new areas for -control. In January 1956, John c. Gynn met with National Park Service Region II Director Howard w. Baker, Regional Forester Frank ff. Childs, Fore:ster Maynard Barrows, and other members of their .s-taff at Omaha, "Nebraska, to review the results of the 1955 white pine and survey on l7,270 acres of National Park lands. The group deter- mined ·the following areas should be incl\Jded in the pro;gram and the areas were later approved by the Director of the National Park Service.

~15- Glacier - expanded protection zones to present control areas only.

Unit Acres

Park Headquarters 300 East Glacier (Rising Sun Campground) 370 Twd Medicine 200 Total 870

Yellowstone New Unit

Antelope Creek 1,390 Canyon 11,470 Fishing Bridge 2,090 Craig Pass (extension) 5,240 Total 20,190

Grand Teton New Unit

Snake River (De adman 's Bar) 1,010 Grand Total 22,070

New areas surveyed at Roc~Mounta~~· At the request of Superintendent James V. Lloyd, Rocky }'fountain National Park, a l-fhi te pine ribes survey was completed on 4,050 acres, including the north portion of Windy Gulch and the entire adjacent Hidden· Valley ski development area. The survey data will be compiled, cost estimates made, feasibility of control determined, and recommendations made for his consideration. Inspections and a few survey strips showed that control could not be economically justified in the Twin Sisters area due to the small amount of National Park land involved. Disease found at Grand Teton. For the first ti.me white pine blister rust ( ribicola) was discovered in the park. A fruiting canker of 19'49- 50 origin was found on limber pine () adjacent to the newly ap- proved control area surrounding the Dead.man's Bar vis.ta point-. l'his find in- dicates the disease is established and can be expected to appear in the stands of the more susceptible species white bark pine (~qitoa.UUtit) existing at higher elevations on the east slope of the Teton Range.

The disease is spreading toward Colorado.. Blister rust was. ag~in found on the gooseberry hosts (Ribes s_etostim) n'ear Laramie, Wyoming. This indicates the rust may be intensifying in-this vicinity ·and spreading into southeastern Wyoming toward the Rocky Mountain area.

Training increases production. An intensive preseason training school in the use of portable power spraying equipment was held at Yellowstone for all BRC overhead. Immediately following the arrival of the crewmen, thorough training in all phases of the work was conducted. Moving pictures, charts, slide lec- tures, and field demonstration and practice were employed. Evening classes in

-16- National Park personnel management, crew organization, work efficiency, and production in- crease were held for prospective supervisors and leadmen. U. S. Forest Service, Region One, Trainihg Officer Victor o. Sandberg and Assistant Park Superintendent Warren F. Hamil ton at.tended the sch&ol. The:ir contributions helpe.d to implant a feeling of "the importance o.f the work" in the men. An increase o.f 22. 7 percent in production per effective man day in 1'956 can be attributed in large part to the preseason and follow•through training programs.

II. Field Program, 1956

Ribes eradicat.ion was performed in Glacier, Yellowston~, and Rocky Mountain. Ad- ditional inspections for planning ribes eradication work were inade at Grand Teton.

Extended protection zone ~ork started at Glaci~r. Initial work ~as started on a buffer strip parallel and immediately adjacent ±o the west boundary of the East Glacier (Rising Sun campground) control unit.

Initial work was completed on Mt. Washburn extension and several portions par- ticularly hazardous for rust invasion were reworked.

Seedlipg ar~as stabalizing at Rock_l.· Inspections and checking surveys show ribes seed germination in stream and subalpine types to be rapidly diminishing. Only a few man days were required to bring 540 acres of questionable area to maintenance standards.

1. Expenditures, Calendar Year 1956

Forest Service National Park Leadership and National Park INC Technical Direction. Totals

Glacier $15,03'3 $2,707 $17,740 Yellowstone 34,464 4,962 39,426 Rocky Moun ta in 13,447 l,353 14,800

Totals $62,944 $9,022 $71,966

2. Organizationz 1956

Camp superintendents and checkers well experienced in National Park Service blister rust control work were available for all parks in 1956.. Batching and Government-subsisted pack camps were used. The 1956 field for~e was as follows:

National Park Camps Employees

Glacier 2 13 Yellowstone 2 32 Rocky Mountain 1 15

Totals 5 60

-17- 3. Total Progress on Rib~s ~radication in 1956

Work progress and efficiei:i-cy improved in 1956. The increase is significant considering t:raining was interrupted at Rocky and work was halted several times at YellQwstone by forest fire suppression, searching for lost persons, and inclement weather. Regular Checker Total Per Acre Work Flanker Worked Man Man --~ Park Working Acres. Acre~ Acres Days Ribes Days Ribes

Glacier Initial 110 110 140 18;700 1.27 170 Rework 370 90 460 440 9,600 • 96 21 Maintenance 30 30 30 600 -1-.00 --·20 Totals 510 90 600 610 28,900 1.02 48

Yellowstone Initial 460 460 570 176,400 1.24 3.83 Rework 1,040 300 1,340 650 1311240 • ~19 98 Maintenance 150 160 ----310 50 960 .16 3 Totals 1,650 460 2,110 1,270 308,600 .so 146 Rocky Mountain Initial 610 610 480 25,200 .79 41 Rework 260 390 650 140 4,800 .22 7 Maintenance 20 80 100 20 200 .20 -·-2 Totals 890 470 1,360 640 30,200 .47 22

All Parks Initial 1,180 1,180 1,190 220,300 1.01 187 Rework 1,670 780 2,450 1,230 145,640 .so 59 Maintenance 200 - 240 --440 100 1,760 .23 4 Totals 3,050 1,020 4, 070 2' 520 367 ,700 .62 90

4. Chemical Ribes Eradication, 1956

Manual and portable power spraying methods were extensive,ly used. Delays caused by mechanical failure were negligible. Power spray lead.men showed considerable ingenuity in adapting this method to the high precipitous areas of' Yellowstone and Rocky. In dry areas spray solution was relayed uphill by pumping from sta- tion to station to spray R. montigenum concentrations that wou,ld otherwise require the more costly Hi-Fog-and hand-grubbing methods. Power equipment and chemical were transported by mules as far into the remote areas as a packer could take them. From there moves were made by man packs.

National Park Acres Man Days Ribes Gallons

Yellowstone 600 840 291,140 21,430 Rocky Mountain 90 260 16,890 4,910

Totals 690 1,100 308,030 26,340

-18- National Park

III. Control Status

Checking on current year's work was closely coordinated with ri bes eradica Hon.• All checkers cooperated with camp superintendents to increase eradication ef- ficiency and thereby reduce the amount of mopup necessary. In many cases, checkers trained crewmen in the techniques of searching and the elimination of search in the known ribes-free portions of the mopup lots., Checkers were integrated as working supervisors for ribes eradication wheney~r checking duties allowed. Most checke:-·s are now qualified for camp superintendent positions in 1957. Regular checking was performed on 3,640 acres of current year work, 5,340 acres were post checked to determine ribes status, and 4,050 acres were surveyed in the proposed Hidden Valley-Windy Gulch area, Rocky Mountain National Park. Areas treated by chemical methods will not be checked until 1957.

2. Summary of Control Status

Current year accomplishments brought 1,820 acres in portions of the control units to maintenance standards. New ribes seed germination continues to be the chief cause for several areas at Glacier and Yellowstone not beine classified in the maintenance category. The percentage of initially worked acres now in the main- tenance control classification are as follows: Glacier, 68.4 percent; Yellowstone, 67 percent; and Rocky Mountain, 86 percent.

Needing Needing On Total Unworked Rework Post Check Maintenance National Park Acres Acres Acres Acres Acres·

Glacier 6,010 760 900 760 3,590 Yellowstone 33,290 20,200 3,290 1,030 8,770 Grand Teton 1,010 1,010 Rocky Mountain 8,600 940 280 790 6,590

Totals 48,910 22,910 4,470 2,580 18,950

IV. Recommendations

The following recommended field programs include expanded projects approved by the National Park Service Director in 1956. Personnel requirements coincide with tentative working schedules prepared in agreement with National Park Service Region II officials. Adjv.stments will be necessary in working schedules and priorities if sufficient funds are not available or because of recent rust inva- sion. Recommendations are based on a six-day work week for a complete three- month working season. Each park should hire several additional men at the start of the season to compensate for man-day losses caused by late arrivals, quits, fire suppression activities and employees leaving early for school. A strong effort should be made to maintain the average total seasonal employee level as designated.

-19- Recommended Field Programs, 1957 GS-6 GS-5 Working Area Camp Superintendent Checker Le admen Laborers ---Total Glacier Park HeaQ.quar.ters · *Or Two Medicine l~} 1*{~ 2 6 10 Oldman Lake -1 5 6 Totals 1 1 3 11 16 Yellowstone

•~Antelope Creek 1 3 11 15 *Canyon 1 1 9 36 47 Mt. Washburn Ext. 1 1 3 15 20

Totals 3 2 15 62 82 Rockx Moun;tain Boulder Brook and maintenance control 1 1 3 11 16

Total All Parks 5 4 21 84 114 {}Extended or new unit (J. C. Gynn and C. M. Chapman) *"}Serve both camps

~20- Grand Teton: Snake River Control Area; vista point at Deadman's Bar. Limber pine.

Yellowstone: Canyon Control Area. North portion adjacent to Mt. Washburn unit. Whitebark pine.

Yellowstone: Fishing Bridge Control Area, Yellowstone Lake shore, white- bark nine intermineled with lodgeoole. Rocky Mountain: Packing portable power spra~ing unit to timber line, 11,500 ft. elevation.

Rocky Mountain: Spraying rit€s ~ith 2,4,5-T, using portable power unit.

Yellowstone: Closeup of power unit station. Lightweight G. I. cans serve as chemical mixing tanks. V. Scouting for 'White Pine Blister Rust

Extensive scouting for white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) was per- formed in Mdntana, Wyoming, northern, polorado, northeast-ern Utah an9, southeastern Idaho. Inspections were made in 80 drainages on 14 national forests, three na- tional parks, and two national monuments~ Examinations were made: on 5,660 white pine trees ( and P. flexilis) and on 9,380 ribes bushes of vari- ous species.

The rust was found for the first time in Grand Teton National Park,-T~ton County, Wyoming. A limber pine (P, flexil!s) was infected with a fruiting. canker, in.· 1947 wood. This indicates the-rust on :white pine is well established in the park. The disease on ribes (Ribes setosum) was found in a new location in Albany County, Wyoming, near the MedicrneBow Nafronal Forest l:x>undary. This is eVidence -the - rust has been spreading into southeastern Wyoming since it w~s first found on the Pole Mountain District, Medicine Bow.National Forest, in 1952. White Pine Infection Locations

Teton County, Wybming, Grand Teton National Park, near Deadman 1 s Bar vista point on the Snake River; T. 44 N., R. 155 W., sec. Z7. !• flexilis. Ribes Infection Locations

1. Albany County, Wyoming, outside Medicine Bow National Forest, Rock :creek, ·'34 miles northwest of Laramie 1 Wyoming, ,T •. 20 N. 1 R. 77 W., sec. 1. R.- ··setosuni.

2. Teton County, Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, near Deadman 's Bar vista point, T. 44 N., R. 115 W. 1 sec, 27. R. viscosissimum. Pinon Rust Infection Pinon rust (C. occidentale). was found· on ribes in several national ·forests arid monuments in-Colorado, Utatt, and Idahr;).- This indicates conditions are. also'· favorable for white pine biister rust as shown by the recently discover:ed infe_c- tion centers where· pinon rust had previously been found.· · ·

-21.- Scouting Sunnnary, 1956 New -Inf ectlon Drainages Ribes Pine __knters_ Location Scouted Examined Examined Pine Ribes Montana Gallatin N. F. 1. 100 50

W~oming Yellowstone N. P. 8 810 2,080 Teton N. F. 1 190 170 Shoshone N. F. 9 260 640 Grand Teton N. P. 3 710 650 1 1 Medicine Bow N. F. 3 610 600 1 Colorado

J.z.Roosevel t N. F. 9 1,000 460 Rocky Mountain N. P. 11 800 410 <1:·Arapaho N. F. 3 590 •~Routt N. F. 2 310 Utah

-lminosaur N. M. 1 20 *Ashley N. F. 6 300 *Uinta N. F. 3 740 *Wasatch N. F. 5 1,070 2G ncache N. F. 6 820 40 Idaho

·U·Caribou N. F. 3 410 180 Challis N. F. 1 110 •tCra ters ~f the Moon N.• M. 1 110 270 Sawtooth N. F. 4 420 90

Totals 80 9",380 5,660 1 2 iZ. Pinon rust found. (J. c. Gynn and C. M. Chapman~

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