This project is intended to provide a source of native seed and plant material for BLM’s Wyoming field office programs and projects. The intent of this proposal is to develop and maintain a supply of native plant seed, vegetative propagules, and native seed reserves for use on BLM projects primarily within the Green River Basin, SW Wyoming. This project would assist in providing native plant material and seed for watershed restoration projects on federal lands. The project is in compliance with National BLM native plant policies and goals. Currently, Wyoming BLM does not have native species under cultivation. The native plant program will provide seed and seedlings for field office’s programs, principally wildfire and fuel reduction treatments projects, and other projects such as sagebrush restoration and rehabilitation, riparian restoration, soil stabilization for ground disturbing projects, road construction and road decommissioning, revegetation after weed treatments, wildlife habitat improvement projects, and collaborative projects with the public and state. This project focuses on 14 plant species that have been identified as important food for the Sage-Grouse. At this time seed is unavailable for these species for any type of restoration within sagebrush habitat.
The success of a long-term program to develop and produce native plant materials for restoration efforts primarily in the desert shrub, grassland and sagebrush zones in the Green River Basin and surrounding areas would provide an adequate supply of native plant materials needed to rehabilitate and restore native plant communities. BLM lands that would benefit most include those in the desert shrub and sagebrush zones needing to be rehabilitate after wildfire, oil and gas development, hazard fuels and noxious weed treatments, mined land reclamation, and habitat restoration projects on all BLM lands. Several sagebrush obligate species and key habitat including crucial habitat for deer, elk, pronghorn, antelope, greater sage-grouse and a number of non-game, sagebrush obligate species. This project is targeting the development of native forbs found by Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) (Connelly et al., 2004; Conservation Assessment of Greater Sage-Grouse and Sagebrush Habitats) to be of conservation benefit to the sage-grouse – in particular, those species that provide important food items for the Sage-Grouse but for which seed sources are not yet commercially available. Several Federal and State agencies that need native seed sources for restoration and/or reclamation purposes would directly benefit (e.g., BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service). Private landowners would benefit, allowing them to achieve a better fit with landscape scale restoration goals, Contracting done would directly benefit private industry. Rural economies may also benefit as we facilitate the development of a local native seed industry (seed collection, production, storage).
14 plant species have already been identified as important for Sage-Grouse during some life-history stage; however, the seeds for restoration of habitat containing these species are not yet available. Focusing on species that are readily established and easy to cultivate as well as of high food value to Sage-Grouse (e.g., Agoseris glauca and other Agoseris species; Antennaria spp.; Lomatium nevadense and other Lomatium species) the next steps (to be accomplished under the proposed project) would be to: 1) gather wild seeds to provide a foundation seed source, 2) produce the foundation seed, 3) identify potential growers and markets, 4) seed production by private sector, and 5) build and staff a regional storage facility that would receive, test, and provide custom mixing for specific ecological restoration sites as requested. Year one would be used to collect seed from the first 5 species; year two would be used to establish planting fields and organize growers for seed production; third and fourth years would be spent harvesting, inspecting, cleaning, and testing seed; fifth year also spent inspecting, cleaning, harvesting, as well as shipping and storage of seed. As the project moves forward, the types and quantities of seeds available and the acres restored with them will continue to increase. Once regional storage facilities are built and operating and the private sector continues to staff up and produce both seed and actively restore BLM lands, the number of acres restored each year will continue to increase.
This project is directed by the BLM Wyoming State Office in Cheyenne. Private industry will be an important component of this project as seed growers are contracted for work and the seed market is established. For example, the Plant Materials Center of Meeker, CO, is currently used by BLM for native plant materials development. The Bridger Plant Materials Center (NRCS facility) in SW Wyoming is a current partner for BLM in Wyoming; commercial growers such as Wind River Seed are also interested in working with BLM in Wyoming to develop native plant materials. Additionally, the Southcentral WY Sage-Grouse Working Group has identified as a priority for Sage-Grouse conservation the development of native forbs in Wyoming. Additionally, NPS and US Forest Service use native plant materials developed by BLM and continue to support BLM’s Native Plant Materials Development Program.
