Extreme weather and wildfires, intensified by climate change, are damaging the native plant communities of landscapes across the United States. Native plant communities are foundational to thriving ecosystems, delivering goods and services that regulate the environment and support life, provide food and shelter for a wide range of native animals, and embody a wealth of genetic information with many beneficial applications. Restoring impaired ecosystems requires a supply of diverse native plant seeds that are well suited to the climates, soils, and other living species of the system.

This report examines the needs for native plant restoration and other activities, provides recommendations for improving the reliability, predictability, and performance of the native seed supply, and presents an ambitious agenda for action. An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply considers the various challenges facing our natural landscapes and calls for a coordinated public-private effort to scale-up and secure a cost-effective national native seed supply.

Table of Contents

Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Description of the Information-Gathering Strategy 3 Native Seed Needs and the Federal Government 4 State Government Uses of Native Seed 5 Tribal Uses of Native Seed 6 Cooperative Partnerships for Native Seed Development, Supply, and Usage 7 Seed Suppliers 8 Knowledge Gaps and Research Needs to Support the Native Seed Supply 9 Summary Conclusions and Recommendations for the Native Seed Supply Appendix 1: Committee Biographies Appendix 2A: Semi-Structured Interview Guide for Federal Agencies Appendix 2B: State Government Departments Survey Invitation Letter Appendix 2C: State Government Departments Web Survey Instrument Appendix 2D: State Government Departments Survey Frequency Distributions Appendix 2E: Supplier Survey Invitation Letter Appendix 2F: Supplier Web Survey Instrument Appendix 2G: Supplier Survey Frequency Distributions Appendix 2H: Public Information-Gathering Sessions In-Person and Virtual Agendas