Western hemlock tree breeding program

Hemlock is harvested on the British Columbia coast more than any other species, though planting has declined drastically in favour of natural regeneration, largely due to costs of re-planting.

Tree breeding efforts in coastal western hemlock began over 60 years ago. Selecting healthy vigorous hemlock trees in the wild started in the late 1950s, and after the initial round of progeny testing for growth improvement, these improved parent trees were put into seed orchards to supply seed for re-planting harvested stands and into clone banks for gene conservation. 

In the 1990s a breeding co-operative was formed with the forest industry, BC Forest Service, government agencies and First Nations from Washington and Oregon. These experiments provided B.C. with faster growing seedlings and seed sources better adapted to the conditions likely to be experienced under climate change, in case reforestation efforts with western hemlock gain in importance again. Any new studies have been curtailed, though established trials continue to be monitored and measured.