Northern-most Longleaf Pine on USFWS NWR Lands

BY DAN FRISK, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

In 2016, the James River National Wildlife Refuge obtained Virginia native longleaf pine plugs from the Virginia Department of Forestry.  Staff and volunteers planted a number of these plugs under a partially thinned stand of even-aged loblolly pine.  The purpose of the planting was to help determine capacity of the area to support longleaf pine, given the sunlight limitations of the longleaf pine canopy. 

This longleaf pine demonstration site was one of two on the wildlife refuge intended to help answer questions related to future forestry restoration projects.  The second longleaf pine planting location occurred a year later in a fully cleared plot.  The tree pictured is one of only a handful that has survived from the underplanting demonstration site.  That tree is believed to be the northernmost longleaf pine tree within the National Wildlife Refuge System.  The cleared plot longleaf pine demonstration site is thriving and progressing nicely into the bottlebrush stage. 

Pictured left to right:  Kyla Hastie, R5 Acting Regional Director; Cyrus Brame, Wildlife Refuge Specialist; Timothy Binzen, Tribal Liaison; Marcie Kapsch, Project Leader.

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