Longleaf pine has become the second-most planted species in the southern United States, with close to 100 million seedlings produced annually comprising around 10% of the of the conifer seedlings produced in recent years (Newell and Bowersock 2023). However, only around 30% of the longleaf pine seedlings come from seed orchards, with the rest coming from wild collections. In 2024, the Cooperative partnered with The Longleaf Alliance on a five-year project to improve the genetic resource for longleaf pine, with funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The menu on the left highlights the progress and developments on this important project!