Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative

Innovating for stronger, healthier forests in the Inland Northwest.

Founded in 1968, the Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative (IETIC) is a collaborative group of 19 organizations from eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. The cooperative applies classical plant breeding techniques to improve native conifer species, producing genetically enhanced tree seed for commercial reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

Key achievements

Since 1974, IETIC has established over 120 field tests with more than one million seedlings. These tests not only evaluate parent tree selections but also function as valuable gene archives for future forest restoration efforts.

Access to genetic materials

IETIC members can access genetic materials and use grafting to clone top-ranking trees. This technique, widely used in agriculture and horticulture, involves grafting a branch tip from a selected tree onto a seedling rootstock to produce a new tree. These grafted trees are then grown in "seed orchards" to produce seeds for reforestation and ecosystem restoration.