Plant development and studies at USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Plant Materials Centers (PMC) are a critical component of the multi-agency National Seed Strategy to ensure that private and public lands have the seed they need for revegetation and restoration projects.
Native plant communities are nature-based solutions that provide essential environmental benefits, such as buffering against extreme weather, improving soil health and water, and conserving biodiversity. A new progress report showcases how partnership and federal investment have advanced the National Seed Strategy, a pragmatic tool for restoring healthy ecosystems.
NRCS PMC’s have been developing conservation plants and releasing them to the public and commercial growers for more than 90 years. Their conservation plants and the methods for establishing and management them form the foundation of tools used for many of the NRCS conservation practices and by other Federal agencies, state and local entities, and the public to protect and enhance our nation’s natural resources.
PMCs cooperate in the National Seed Strategy, developed in 2015, to increase the native seed supply commercially for restoration, thus ensuring ecosystem resilience and the health and prosperity of future generations, including rural, agricultural, and tribal communities.
For additional information on specific species of plants in the report click here.