Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Park announced they have reached over 31,000 whitebark pine seedlings planted throughout the area since 2014. Parks Canada called it a growing success story.
In September 2025, crews planted 7,680 whitebark pine seedlings near Flat Creek, where the 2022 prescribed fire took place.
“Old burns are bright and open, with no competing trees, perfect for this slow-growing sun lover. These seedlings were chosen for their potential resistance to white pine blister rust, in hopes that they’ll help spread those strong genes across the landscape over the next few decades,” read their post on social media.
According to Parks Canada, whitebark pines are crucial to the environment because its ability to stabilize steep slopes, influence the amount of snow melt, and provide critical food, cover and shelter for many species of wildlife.
They added that this species is declining throughout its range, including within the mountain national parks, as it is facing threats such as fire suppression, mountain pine beetle outbreaks and blister rust.
“The whitebark pine has evolved over time to become an important tree of the high elevation forests along the Rocky and Columbia Mountain chains. It is found in seven of Canada’s national parks: Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, Yoho and Waterton Lakes,” Parks Canada said.
According to the Committee in the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), whitebark pine is now listed as endangered.
Parks Canada is continuing their recovery actions in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks through cooperating with other provinces, collecting whitebark pine seeds for genetic conservations, and managing wildfire and prescribed burning to enhance its recovery.
