As dawn breaks over Mount Rainier, alpenglow spills across snow-covered ridges and high-elevation forests awaken. Tourists gather at overlooks, rangers answer questions, and behind the scenes, restoration crews shoulder packs and head into the subalpine terrain. Their mission is quiet but urgent: saving one of North America’s most important — and imperiled — tree species. 

Whitebark pine grows where few other tree species can survive. Clinging to windswept ridges and rocky slopes at elevations reaching 12,000 feet, it anchors entire ecosystems across more than 80 million acres in the western United States and Canada. Today, however, this keystone species is disappearing at an alarming rate — and a growing coalition of partners is racing against time to bring it back. 

Why whitebark pine matters 

Ecologists often describe whitebark pine as the “keystone” of high-elevation ecosystems. Like the central stone in an arch, it holds everything together. 

Yet whitebark pine is under siege. Climate change has intensified drought and stress. Wildfire regimes continue to shift. Mountain pine beetles have devastated stands across the West. And an invasive fungus — white pine blister rust — continues to kill trees that have no natural resistance. Together, these threats have wiped out an estimated 325 million whitebark pines. Range wide, this represents more than 50% of all whitebark pine trees. 

Without intervention, entire high-elevation ecosystems could unravel. 

Racing to restore a species 

In Mount Rainier National Park, ecologist Eve Bernhard moves quickly through a former campground basin being transformed through a multi-generational restoration effort. Working with American Forests and the National Park Service here and in two other western Washington National Parks, Olympic and North Cascades, Bernhard works within the narrow seasonal window when whitebark pine cones are ripe and snow hasn’t yet closed access to the mountains. 

Her work reflects a shift toward emerging, innovative and efficient restoration methods. Instead of hauling heavy nursery-grown seedlings into remote terrain, Bernhard uses direct seeding — carefully planting whitebark pine seeds directly into the soil. The approach mimics one of nature’s reliable collaborations, while lightening the physical burden on crews, and allowing restoration to reach places seedlings simply can’t. 

Learning from nature’s original partner 

Since the beginning of time, whitebark pine has always relied on collaboration — especially with the Clark’s nutcracker, a crow-sized bird with a remarkable memory. The pine depends entirely on the bird to break through its difficult-to-penetrate cones to harvest and bury its seeds. The nutcracker caches many thousands each season, and the forgotten ones become tomorrow’s forests. 

In just one short season in western Washington, crews collected thousands of cones, yielding more than 110,000 seeds destined for high-elevation landscapes in need of recovery. 

It takes an ecosystem of people 

Whitebark pine’s range spans jurisdictions, land management systems and political boundaries. Saving it requires more than science — it demands unprecedented collaboration. 

American Forests works alongside the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Tribal partners, scientists, volunteers, climbers and conservation organizations. Plant pathologists, wildlife biologists and restoration crews each play a role in designing and implementing solutions across the species’ vast range. 

This collective approach is anchored by a landmark five-year agreement signed in 2023 between the National Park Service and American Forests. The partnership supports restoration in some of the country’s most iconic parks, from the Pacific Northwest to the Sierra Nevada and Northern Rockies — setting a new standard for cross-sector conservation. 

Protecting places people love 

Whitebark pine isn’t just ecologically important — it’s woven into the landscapes millions of people cherish. 

Hikers, runners, skiers and backpackers often encounter these trees when they venture into high-elevation parks. For many, whitebark pine defines the feeling of awe and challenge found in wild places. 

That connection has inspired support from partners like Life Time Foundation, whose Healthy People, Healthy Planet, Healthy Way of Life initiative recognizes the link between ecosystem health and human well-being. Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts understand that thriving forests sustain not only wildlife and water, but also the physical and emotional benefits of time spent outdoors. 

Restoring whitebark pine helps ensure that future generations can experience these landscapes as places of inspiration, resilience and connection. 

A legacy beyond a lifetime 

Few people restoring whitebark pine expect to see the full results of their work. These trees grow slowly. Success is measured not in months or years, but in decades. 

For Bernhard, that long view is deeply personal. She speaks of whitebark pine as something larger than herself — a vast, interconnected system where individual actions still matter. Each seed planted represents hope, responsibility and continuity. 

Most visitors will never know her name. They may never realize how close these ecosystems came to collapse. But the forests they walk through — the shade, the wildlife, the snow-fed streams — will stand as living proof of what’s possible when people come together for something bigger than themselves. 

Saving whitebark pine isn’t just about restoring a tree. It’s about safeguarding water, wildlife, recreation and resilience in a changing climate. And it’s about recognizing that, like nature itself, conservation succeeds best when it’s built on connection. 

Because it takes an ecosystem of people to restore an ecosystem of trees.