[PCA] NEWS: Media coverage of the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration

[Kwong, Olivia]

Here are a couple of news articles covering the National Seed Strategy for
Rehabilitation and Restoration, click on the links to read the full article
text and view any accompanying photos or videos. Additionally, you can find
the official press release here:
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2015/august/nr_8_17_15.html

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http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-blm-seed-program-20150817-story.html

What grows after natural disasters? U.S. plants new idea to restore
landscapes
LA Times // John M. Glionna // August 17, 2015

Peggy Olwell has seen her share of forest fires, hurricanes and other
natural disasters. She knows all too well what errant Mother Nature can do.
The career botanist has watched Western wildfires scorch the earth and
scary-high winds wipe coastal landscapes clean. She also has seen what
happens to native plants. And when it's time to replant, there are rarely
enough native seeds on hand. Conservationists introduce nonnative species
in hopes of jump-starting damaged ecosystems.

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http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/08/17/3942659_agencies-already-working-on-rehabilitation.html?rh=1

Agencies already working on rehabilitation of Soda Fire’s burned landscape
Idaho Statesman // Rocky Barker // August 17, 2015

The wind-whipped Soda Fire burned through the lives and businesses of ranch
families in Owyhee County as it crossed 200,000 acres of sage-grouse
habitat. Volunteers and neighbors are reaching out to help those who lost
livestock and grazing land in the short term. Even before the smoke has
cleared, federal officials are looking at longer-term assistance. “A good
deal of this help will come in the form of restoration,” said Steve Ellis,
Bureau of Land Management deputy director. “Having the right seed in the
right place at the right time makes a major difference,” Ellis said. The
shortage of seeds has been identified as a major issue by the U.S.
Department of Fish and Wildlife, which will decide in September whether
sage grouse listing as an endangered species is not warranted because of
the collective actions of the federal government, 11 states and private
interests. The strategy outlines focused research, improvements in seed
production and new restoration technology to increase genetically
appropriate, locally adapted seed.

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http://www.agri-pulse.com/Interior-Department-releases-National-Seed-Strategy-restore-land-scarred-wildfire-8172015.asp

Interior Department sets seed strategy to restore damaged land
Agri-Pulse // August 17, 2015

The Interior Department released a National Seed Strategy to restore
wildlife landscapes, especially for land damaged by rangeland fires, as
well as invasive species, severe storms and drought. The strategy,
developed in partnership with the Plant Conservation Alliance and USDA,
emphasizes the importance of planting appropriate seeds to help grow plant
life and pollinator habitat. “Having the right seed in the right place at
the right time makes a major difference in the health of our landscapes,”
said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “This is a collaborative effort to
ensure that we're taking a landscape level approach to supporting lands
that are more resilient to drought, intense fires and invasive species.”
American Seed Trade Association Chair Risa DeMasi said the strategy is
focused on research in identifying appropriate, regionally adapted species,
and developing protocols “that can successfully restore the thousands of
acres of land impacted by wildfires,” particularly in Oregon, Washington,
Idaho and California.

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http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/17/new-national-seed-strategy-aims-make-burned-lands-/

New national seed strategy aims to make burned lands more resilient
Spokesman Review // Betsy Z Russell // August 17, 2015

Even as fires ravage landscapes across the west, restoration crews already
are on the ground amid the smoke, starting work on plans to reseed and
rehabilitate the burned wildlands. “There’s an urgent need,” said Tim
Murphy, Idaho state director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. That
need has prompted an array of federal and state agencies to partner with
hundreds of groups, from commercial seed producers to garden clubs,
research universities to ranchers, to launch a new “National Seed Strategy
for Rehabilitation and Restoration” today, aimed at not only restoring
burned landscapes across the west, but making them more resilient before
the next fire hits.

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http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2015/08/17/stories/1060023551

Agencies finalize strategy to source seed for rehab projects
E&E // Tiffany Stecker // August 17, 2015

An alliance of federal agencies, seed companies and organizations are
rolling out a five-year plan to better source seeds to rehabilitate lands
ravages by wildfire, floods and other natural disasters. In an event in
Boise, Idaho, today, the Plant Conservation Alliance, led by the Bureau of
Land Management, announced a plan to mobilize the public, private and
nonprofit sectors to ensure a steady supply of conservation seed, an
increasingly important commodity to protect natural vegetation and provide
habitat for imperiled species like the sage grouse and pollinators. "Large,
disturbed areas must be replanted quickly to avoid severe erosion or
colonization by nonnative invasive plants," said BLM Deputy Director Steve
Ellis in prepared remarks. "In many cases, it has been difficult to obtain
and deliver adequate quantities of the appropriate seed to meet a region's
particular need."

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http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/08/17/us-seed-plan-aims-to-protect-land-after-natural-disasters

Feds plan to gather tons of seeds from native plants to protect land after
natural disasters
AP // Keith Ridler // August 17, 2015

Federal authorities announced a plan Monday to produce massive quantities
of seeds from native plants so they can be quickly planted to help the land
recover from natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. The
program will make landscapes more resilient and healthier, especially
Western rangelands where massive wildfires have been an increasing problem,
the U.S. Department of the Interior said. Officials hope to create a
national network of seed collectors, growers and storage facilities so that
enough native seeds will be available immediately after disasters to avoid
erosion and prevent invasive species from moving in.

Also carried in SF Chronicle, ABC, Seattle PI, Houston Chronicle, AJC, CT
Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Idaho Statesman, My San Antonio, Washington
Post, Seattle Times, Yahoo News, US News, WSB-TV,
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