March 11, 2022

Bureau of Land Management OR/WA Plant Conservation and Restoration Management

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Since the Plant Conservation and Restoration Management Program (PCRP) was established in 2001, the Program has dramatically improved the availability and use of locally adapted, genetically appropriate native seed for restoration. The PCRP-led Seeds of Success project has made more than 26,000 native seed collections across 43 states and 93 ecoregions. Under PCRP leadership, the Plant Conservation Alliance developed and released the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration—the first of its kind in the world.

Since PCRP created the Native Forb and Grass Seed Production IDIQ Contract in 2018, BLM staff have ordered more than 100,000 pounds of seed from 55 native species across 62 seed transfer zones. The proportion of native seed purchased through the BLM National Seed Warehouse System increased from roughly 50% native seed in 2001 (the year PCRP was established) to 80% native seed in 2019.

PCRP partnerships with federal agencies and non-federal organizations have grown millions of seedlings for restoration on BLM lands, provided education and job opportunities for disadvantaged communities, and developed much of the science that land managers use to inform restoration seeding decisions.

Finally, PCRP sponsored the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Assessment of Seed Needs and Capacities (ongoing) and the Open Access publication of the first international principles and standards for using native seeds in ecological restoration. Through these myriad accomplishments, PCRP has consistently proven to be a global leader in the development of locally adapted native plant materials and their use in restoring adaptive and resilient ecosystems.

The Oregon/Washington BLM has opportunities to work with partner organizations to accomplish goals of the BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration Program that include, but are not limited to, such things as:
 Support habitat management efforts to restore habitat for keystone wildlife and pollinator and increase on-the ground project work to reduce the threats to sage grouse, rare plants, and other sensitive species in high priority habitats.
 Work with growers to continue to develop genetically appropriate native plant material for use in habitat restoration and rehabilitation.
 Support studies to improve the effectiveness of conservation restoration efforts to include, but not be limited to, plant ecological, plant genetics, and ecophysiological studies, seed bank persistence, plant propagation and development of agronomic production practices, and trait and/or seed source evaluations as well as seeding treatment
and tool development
 Support pollinator studies and projects that increase the knowledge and nexus to the importance of native plant communities and pollinators to restoration durability and ecological function.
 Implement conservation actions for high priority rare plant species
 Increase understanding of rare plant biology and threats.
 Monitor, protect, and restore habitat that supports more than 1,800 rare plant species, more than 300 of which are found exclusively on BLM lands.
 Assist BLM programs such as Wildlife, Oil & Gas, Minerals, Fuels, Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation, Range, and Renewable Energy in restoring public lands and integrating more widespread use of native plant materials.
 Expand public education programs and outreach on native plants and native plant communities to include, but not be limited to, development of technical bulletins, handbooks, , videos, native plant guides and floras, workshops, webinars, and apps, that also increase the Citizen Science nexus with BLM and partners.