Ive got the cones. I made a cone picker out of a coat hanger and a broom stick. The garage roof was a little sketchy, but I survived. Now Im debating how natural Im going to go. I found some great info at the forestry center website, although the link above is dead. That website seems to encourage cleaning the seed, stratisfying them (making them think they went through winter), and them planting them in january thru may, or somthing like that. I might take that approach with some of the seed, but for the sake of experimentation Im also going to try the planting method described above. I found a baby fir tree on a two foot thick strip of dirt between my drivway and house the other day. Its barely three inches tall. I think Ill need to pot it and protect it from the cold over the winter because Im asuming it got a late start. Its amazing what I find when I put my interest in a certain place. Heres the link I ended up at. http://www.rngr.net/Publications/rsah

You have a good point Resin. They even remind a bit of old Loblolly pines one sees in the south, on occasion, most are much younger but I've seen a few that look like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41460075@N08/4300999837/ The low elevation US SE, although it's rather still for much of the year (http://windy-future.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/us-wind-energy-map-8946.jpg) is definitely windy during thunderstorms, tornadoes, or hurricanes! Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41460075@N08/4300999837/

Let the Jack Pine cones dry out for a month or so; when dry, if they haven't opened naturally (which they probably won't), put them in front of a 3kW electric fan heater until the scales crack open (usually a few seconds). Lever apart any odd uncracked scales by hand, and then soak the cones in cold water for 10 minutes. Leave them cold and damp overnight, and then let them dry out on a sunny window. On drying this second time, they will open fully and shed the seeds readily. Lower pics are Pseudostuga menziesii subsp. glauca (Rocky Mts Douglas-fir) Resin

Being a PNW'er, I live among Doug firs myself and other than a profusion of cones and male pollen capsules, I don't find these trees very messy. Very few needles seem to accumulate. Have you anything else planted in the area? A groundcover may work well - something like vinca that forms a thick enough mat to swallow up cones, etc. Otherwise, I'd go with a light bark or wood chip mulch. Nothing too deep to compromise the root system and a wood-based mulch needs little attention and will also accomodate what tree debris may exist. You will be sweeping the paved areas frequently though, if your trees produce as many of the pollen capsules as mine do.