In 1999, which was a year with many large fires, the BLM bought about twice the amount of non-native as native seed.  The availability of native seed was limited at that time and it was clear that efforts were needed to increase the available supply of native plant materials for future uses.  Between 2000 and 2008, the amount of native seed purchased by the BLM increased significantly.  The following figure illustrates the change in use of native seed over this time period.  In 2007, the BLM purchased over 7 million pounds of seed, primarily for restoration of burned areas throughout the West, with 56% of the total amount being native. 

What Are Native Plants?
Native plant species are defined by the National Park Service as “all species that have occurred, now occur, or may occur as a result of natural processes”.  While there is still much to learn about the values of native vegetation, there is an understanding that native species maintain the biological diversity and the ecosystem processes that naturally occur on the landscapes.  It has been noted that the loss of any native species from an ecosystem should be considered as a loss of the resilience of those ecosystems.  Native vegetation provides habitat for native fauna and for the pollinators whose roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems are only now being fully recognized.  Healthy ecosystems, in turn, provide for ecosystem services, such as the protection of water quality, prevention of land degradation, and maintenance of long-term ecosystem productivity.

From 2005 through 2008 more than half of the seed bought for revegetation and restoration purposes by the BLM was native.  Again, this increase in percent of native seed purchases is currently limited primarily because of the limited availability of native seed.  In addition, however, because the BLM has historically used non-native seed for revegetation purposes, it continues to do so.  This cultural fact is being addressed through means such as this and other Native Seed Initiatives.

The Bureau’s seed-buying record is unpredictable, and has historically been dependent on the severity of the fire season.   What is predictable is that if the BLM has a bad fire season, we will buy a large amount of seed.  Industry is willing to produce the native seed needed for fire restoration, but in order to do so they need a more stable native seed market.  One focus of this program is to integrate the Bureau’s fire rehabilitation need with short-term reclamation and long-term restoration needs, thus providing a more stable market for the seed industry. 

Program Goals
The major goals of this effort are to improve the availability of native plant materials and to provide the knowledge and technology required for their use in restoring diverse native plant communities across the Colorado Plateau.  With partners, we hope to develop and test new methods that will ensure successful establishment and persistence of these native species and communities. 

The Bureau’s seed-buying record is unpredictable, and has historically been dependent on the severity of the fire season.   What is predictable is that if the BLM has a bad fire season, we will buy a large amount of seed.  Industry is willing to produce the native seed needed for fire restoration, but in order to do so they need a more stable native seed market.  One focus of this program is to integrate the Bureau’s fire rehabilitation need with short-term reclamation and long-term restoration needs, thus providing a more stable market for the seed industry. 

Goal 1 –Identify Agency Needs for Native Plant Materials
We are beginning to identify current and future native plant materials needs on the Colorado Plateau. A review of previously conducted demand surveys and of other established lists of target species for the Colorado Plateau will be conducted.  We are in the early stages of developing a long-term strategy for building an effective and efficient native plant materials program for the Colorado Plateau.  This strategy, once in place, is meant to be updated annually in order to incorporate any changes in priorities and to evaluate actual accomplishments vs. those planned.  The program will be adaptive in order to respond to changing budgets and updated or newly defined program needs and goals. 

Goal 2 – Follow Seeds of Success Protocol for Developing Native Plant Materials
We will follow the Seeds of Success protocol to develop an adequate supply of diverse, economical, and regionally-adapted native plant materials for restoration efforts on the Colorado Plateau.  This includes 1) Native Seed Collection; 2) Evaluation and Development; 3) Field Establishment; 4) Seed Production by Private Growers; and 5) Seed Storage.  Seeds of Success also includes a 6th component, which is Restoration of Native Plant Communities.  The Colorado Plateau Native Plant Initiative is focused on getting the native plant materials developed so this last step can be undertaken by the various federal and state agencies, as well as private land owners.

More information on Seeds of Success can be found at http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos

Goal 3 – Technology Development
Understanding the best methods for producing seed and for applying seed in restoration efforts (how, where, and when to plant) is critical to this program.  A scientific approach is desired to address these issues in order to make our restoration efforts have the greatest potential for success.  Therefore, the development of such technology is an important aspect of this program.

Goal 4 – Outreach and Education
There is a need for developing outreach and education materials, including web site development as well as hardcopy information, for use by the agencies and externally by seed producers and other private and public organizations.  These materials will focus on conservation, sustainability, restoration, and research issues related to the development and use of native plant materials.  They will also act as a means to showcase the successes associated with the use of native plant materials in restoration efforts.  They will be used to:

1. increase awareness of the importance of ecosystem restoration;
2. enhance knowledge and skills associated with ecosystem restoration;
3. identify potential knowledge gaps and any efforts underway or planned to fill those gaps; and
4. provide recommendations for achieving restoration goals.