Interagency Colorado Plateau Native Seed Increase Contracts

Interagency seed increase contracts for the Colorado Plateau including portions of UT, CO, NM, and AZ. Since 2001, on a bipartisan basis, Congress has recognized the commercial market does not produce an adequate supply of native seed to meet the federal government’s need to manage native vegetation. In addition to meeting an immediate need to increase the seed supply for post fire and disaster recovery, seed increase contracts are part of a larger strategy to lower government seeding costs by creating a stable market and improving the effectiveness of seeding projects. These seed increase contracts improve the variety of species commercially available, help recruit local growers by lowering their initial production risk, and help prevent market volatility. Without these contracts DOI agencies will be forced to continue to rely on a handful of easy to produce non-native species, and cultivated varieties that, based on the best available science, do not restore and maintain functioning ecosystems. Native plants are not like weeds that can grow anywhere. The Southwest is currently experiencing a 20-year mega drought. Seed stocks for the Colorado Plateau are specifically selected for the growing conditions including drought resilience. Because of the high concentration of National Parks in the region, seed stocks are developed to be used on both BLM and NPS managed lands, range improvement, and minerals reclamation.