An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply Final Report (2023) / Chapter Skim
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9 Summary Conclusions and Recommendations for the Native Seed Supply
9 Summary Conclusions and Recommendations for the Native Seed Supply
Pages 111-120
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From page 111... ...
As the committee pondered the juxtaposition of how this increasing demand for native seed apparently is not enough to stimulate a sufficient supply response to fill the need, several puzzle pieces began to connect. One large piece of the puzzle is that a large diversity of existing native plant populations is on public lands, and in the West, managed by several federal agencies, with their properties intertwined across almost half of the land area, adjacent to state, tribal land, and private lands.
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From page 112... ...
Additional personnel are needed on multiple fronts, including for the responsibility of monitoring native plant populations across public lands, their overall health, and the genetics they embody, and for oversight of a methodical approach to seed collection based on rigorous protocols. The Seeds of Success program, with more than 27,000 accessions so far, is the example of a coordinated, high-quality collecting and seed banking effort to target wild populations of plant species in geographical locations of interest.
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From page 113... ...
The committee found that the agencies do engage in collaborations on an ad hoc basis. In response to the 2001 congressional mandate to develop a native seed supply, BLM and the USFS began to establish regional programs for native plant restoration and native plant materials development but have not been able to expand those programs to the geographic scale required to meet the seed needs of the federal agencies, much less the nation.
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From page 114... ...
An interagency approach focused on fulfilling the long-standing congressional mandate to develop a native seed supply for public lands could unify the agencies' independent efforts to meet seed needs for restoration and rehabilitation. This focused effort would maximize returns on investment in native plant materials development and restoration and would augment, not replace or compete with, existing activities within agencies.
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From page 115... ...
Recognizing tribal sovereignty and self-determination, expanding the cultural, economic, and restoration uses of native plants by tribes will require the promotion and expansion of tribal nurseries and greater support for the Inter-Tribal Nursery Council. Additionally, tribal leaders and land managers should be fully engaged in planning, conducting, and applying results from scientific projects related to seed production and conservation, native plant restoration, and ecosystem management on tribal land.
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From page 116... ...
In cases where native seed is collected from public lands by private suppliers for direct sale and use in restoration, land-management agencies should employ adequate personnel to issue permits and ensure responsible collection. In other cases, where seed is collected for increase and native plant materials development, the federal agencies should facilitate this activity by extending the Seeds of Success program to include all regions of the United States, and better supporting its activities.
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From page 117... ...
Conclusion 6.0: There are many information gaps that affect the ability of the native seed supply to function efficiently and effectively. Addressing them would inform decision making, reduce uncertainty, and improve restoration outcomes.
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From page 118... ...
Recommendation 9.0: BLM should identify and conserve locations in which native plant communities provide significant reservoirs of native seeds for restoration. Public land-management agencies should actively recognize and protect the natural plant communities that provide the ultimate sources of native seeds for ecological restoration, using protective designations such as Area of Critical Environmental Concern or Research Natural Areas.
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From page 119... ...
The committee believes that agenda is commensurate to the challenges facing our natural landscapes, and to the responsibility of the federal public land-management agencies to take a focused, coordinated leadership role in addressing them. The committee is optimistic that the many public and private parties involved in land stewardship on behalf of tribal nations, states, and other landowners will be willing partners in ensuring their success.
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