Preparing for the need for a supply of native seed

Abstract

In mid-September 2020, millions of hectares in the western U.S. were on fire and the year’s second wave of seasonal hurricanes and tropical storms were queueing up to batter the states along the Gulf of Mexico. As members of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee tasked with assessing the need for and supply of native seed in the Western United States and other regions of the country, we viewed the unfolding natural disasters as an appropriate, if troubling, backdrop for our work. The assessment of the seed supply was requested by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which uses native seed on a continuing basis for restoration projects on the public lands it manages, and in large quantities after major wildland fires and disasters. Like other federal agencies, BLM turned to the independent, Congressionally chartered National Academies in search of impartial scientific advice. Ultimately, our committee will recommend steps that could help to expand the quantity and diversity of native plant seeds available from commercial seed markets.

Citation

Harrison, Susan P.; Schoen, Robin; Atcitty, Delane; Fiegener, Rob; Goodhue, Rachael; Havens, Kayri; House, Carol C.; Johnson, Richard C.; Leger, Elizabeth; Lesser, Virginia; Opsomer, Jean; Shaw, Nancy; Soltis, Douglas E.; Swinton, Scott M.; Toth, Edward; Young, Stanford A. 2020. Preparing for the need for a supply of native seed. Ecological Restoration. 38(4): 203-206.