National seed strategy for rehabilitation and restoration progress report 2022 & 2023: Handout

Restoring healthy, resilient, biodiverse ecosystems is crucial for our Nation’s future. Native plant communities provide essential environmental benefits, such as buffering against extreme weather, improving air, soil, and water quality, and habitat for wildlife. However, the limited availability of locally adapted native plants hampers effective ecological restoration. To address this need, the Plant Conservation Alliance released the National Seed Strategy in 2015 to foster coordination to increase the supply of native seeds for restoration on public, Tribal, state, and private lands. Developing and using native seeds nurtures a growing restoration economy that creates jobs, stimulates rural economies, and reduces risks from environmental hazards.