500 seedlings planted for forest health project

ARIZONA—In October, Tonto National Forest entered the third and final phase of a project to sustain the health and diversity of one of its campgrounds. How? By planting 500 southwestern white pine seedlings within the 25-acre Colcord Campground on the Pleasant Valley Ranger District.

These seedlings are part of a management project to treat dwarf mistletoe, a parasitic plant native to western forests that was infecting ponderosa pine trees within the campground. Newly planted southwestern white pine are not susceptible to dwarf mistletoe infection.

An inventory of dwarf mistletoe infection found 150 ponderosa pine trees with light to moderate infection and another 350 trees with severe infection.

Dwarf mistletoe has seeds, stems, flowers and roots like other plants. It survives only on living trees, such as ponderosa pine, by stealing water and nutrients from the host tree. The loss of water and nutrients weakens the host and slows its growth. Severely infected trees suffer top kill and often die.

The management project began in summer 2020 by pruning infected branches on all ponderosa pine trees with light levels of infection.

The second phase saw the removal of ponderosa pine trees with severe dwarf mistletoe infection that measured less than 18 inches in diameter at breast height, or about 4.5 feet above ground. This created space within the campground to allow the forest to plant southwestern white pine seedlings.

In addition to improving the longevity of individual ponderosa pine trees, the project will reduce the formation of hazard trees within the campground and improve public safety. It also will lower the dwarf mistletoe infection to a more manageable level prior to projected Colcord Campground improvements.

Forest officials estimate completion of the dwarf mistletoe management project by spring 2022.

A map of Colcord Campground shows the dwarf mistletoe management area.

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