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PONDEROSA (YELLOW) PINE (Pinus ponderosa)
JEFFREY PINE (Pinus jeffreyi)
SUGAR PINE (Pinus lambertiana)
Other names: Pine, yellow pine, bull pine, blackjack pine,
pitch pine; pondosa, for Ponderosa and Jeffrey. 

VERY GOOD

Ponderosa Pine is found in all of the western states, east into South Dakota. Jeffrey pine (nearly identical to Ponderosa) and Sugar Pine are found only in California and Oregon. All make very good bearing trees. They are frequently found completely healed but usually with a noticeable scar. In dry soil conditions the Ponderosa Pines are often found as much as 100 years after marking with the blaze only partially healed, the scribing weathered, decayed and nearly gone.
Fires may destroy the scribe marks on these open blazes without killing the tree. If logging has not destroyed all traces of the trees, the recovery rate is better than 75%, and if the original tree was not already mature when marked. Sugar
pine is becoming rare in any substantial quantity because of its high value for lumber. When marked as bearing trees they heal about the same as Ponderosa, but often more conspicuous on a mature tree as the bark is of a finer more regular texture. When marked as a young tree, scars tend to disappear due to flaking of the bark as is the case with most pines. Because of their often huge size the original surveyors sometimes bark scribed the sugar pine, but as with the Ponderosa the bark flakes off and bark scribing is soon lost.

When marking these trees keep the blaze as narrow, short and low to the ground as possible, to prevent total loss of the marks to loggers. Paint immediately.