[APWG] Grassland performance standards, who sets them, why and what are they?

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear Wayne and All,

In this discussion of performance standards, I have not heard yet from any
of the government agencies who set performance standards, why they set
those standards, and what are some of the non-riparian standards like, and
how solidly-native and how weed-free can the project end up being?

Perhaps the most common performance standard for non-riparian
revegetation, is the right-of-way standards that must be met after
construction--road widening, pipelines, power lines and the like?  Also
performance standards set by each State for open pit mining operations and
spoils piles?

It seems that every government agency, must set some kind of performance
standard for weed management and/or native restoration for projects? 
Otherwise without any kind of standard, they could end up paying $450,000
per acre for 72% weed cover after ten years of work, like at
http://www.ecoseeds.com/road.test.html?

Or spend $42 million to buy the land for the Riverside County Endangered
Stephens Krats, and not have any performance standard-goals established,
to manage the weeds and get the habitat in shape for the Krats to live?

Probably the most interesting grasslands performance standard I have
encountered so far, was the widening of the highway through Yellowstone
Park in 1997, where only locally-collected native grass seed gathered from
within the National Park was used to revegetate the roadsides after the
construction was completed.  You could not use non-local genetic material,
and definitely no cultivars of natives.

Perhaps some of the government agency people reading these message, can
educate us---what do they require for non-riparian restoration performance
standards in their areas?

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333