Funding opportunity number P24AS00178 2024 preservation technology and training PTT grants are administered by the national center for preservation technology and training ncptt the national park…

Funding opportunity number P24AS00178 2024 preservation technology and training PTT grants are administered by the national center for preservation technology and training ncptt the national park services innovation center for the preservation community. The 2024 PTT grants are intended to create better tools better materials and better approaches to conserving buildings landscapes and cultural resources. Pitch pine is a globally rare conifer endemic to the U.S. East coast and the subject of a previous NPS PTT investigation in a culturally and historically important landscape in concord MA facing inevitable invasion by southern pine beetle SPB as its range expands northward due to climate change. Coastal and island populations have faced alarming SPB outbreaks. On nantucket island an SPB outbreak 2023 caused extensive mortality in west gate at RAM pasture a property owned by nantucket conservation foundation NCF. There an NCF pine cutting to halt SPB spread was completed in fall 2023. The crucial forest health question facing many battling SPB asks what longterm efforts will be mounted to replace dead and managed trees for restoration. There is consensus that replacements with the same genotypic profiles are likely to fail. In order to preserve a germplasm base while adding adaptive qualities. A novel breeding program will explore hybrids between pitch and other pine species and to conduct a longterm evaluation of a new breed of pitch pine hybrids for postbeetle restoration at nantucket other island and coastal communities and then inland trees in NY CT MA NH and me.