“Whitebark pine is a 5-needled conifer species placed in the
subgenus Strobus , which also includes other 5-needled white pines. Whitebark
pine is a stone pine (so-called for their stone-like seeds). Only five species
of stone pines are recognized worldwide, and whitebark pine is the only stone
pine that occurs in North America. Characteristics of stone pines include five
pine needles per cluster, cones that stay on the tree, and wingless seeds that
remain fixed to the cone and cannot be dislodged by the wind. Because whitebark
pine seeds cannot be wind-disseminated, primary seed dispersal occurs almost
exclusively by Clark's nutcrackers ( Nucifraga columbiana ) in the avian family
Corvidae (whose members include ravens, crows, and jays). This pine is a very long-lived
species with some individuals documented at over 1,000 years old.”
“Most gun owners are responsible and law-abiding, and they
use their guns safely. The President strongly believes that the Second
Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. But to better protect
our children and our communities from tragic mass shootings like those in Newtown,
Aurora, Oak Creek, and Tucson, there are common-sense steps we can take right
now.”
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