<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: 86 groups send letter to USDA - prioritizing the use of native plants would improve water quality and soil health while providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Apr 29, 2019<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The following is a press release for a <a href="https://plantsocieties.cnps.org/images/NWF_2019_Final_NRCS_Prefer_Natives_letter.86_groups.pdf">letter</a> signed by the Native Plant Conservation Campaign, many Native Plant Societies and dozens of other groups. The<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='position:absolute;margin-left:248.8pt;margin-top:0;width:300pt;height:334.5pt;z-index:251658240;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="https://ymlpmail2.net/imgz/09yp_blueredbirdgdTallamy.jpg" />
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=400 height=446 style='width:4.1666in;height:4.6428in' src="https://ymlpmail2.net/imgz/09yp_blueredbirdgdTallamy.jpg" align=right v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]> <a href="https://plantsocieties.cnps.org/images/NWF_2019_Final_NRCS_Prefer_Natives_letter.86_groups.pdf">letter asks the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to give priority of native plants in its conservation programs.</a> <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>This may be the first time that so many groups have expressed public support for preferential use of native plants in USDA conservation work.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Press Release<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Contact: Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation, 512-610-7765, <a href="mailto:mccormick@nwf.org">mccormick@nwf.org</a> April 26, 2019<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>WASHINGTON — More than 85 groups yesterday<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugifxnl3nqlz99s/Final%20NRCS%20practice%20standard%20comments_86%20groups.pdf?dl=0"> asked the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service</a> to prioritize the use of native plants in the conservation programs they manage. The National Wildlife Federation, the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, the Izaak Walton League of America, and the Missouri Prairie Foundation were among the groups that weighed in on the agency’s review of its National Handbook of Conservation Practices.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“We are too frequently missing out on the important benefits native plants provide,” said Aviva Glaser, director of agriculture policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “Native plants can protect soil, water, and air quality while also providing needed habitat for monarch butterflies, upland game birds, pollinators, and many other wildlife species. We encourage USDA to make this switch to prioritizing diverse native plantings in conservation practice standards in order to maximize the resource benefits of our limited conservation dollars.”<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>USDA soil, water, and forage conservation practices historically often rely on introduced, non-native plants rather than native species. A total of 86 national, state, and local organizations submitted joint comments to USDA arguing that prioritizing the use of native plants would improve water quality and soil health while providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“Incorporating native vegetation in USDA conservation practices could be the most important development in restoring bobwhites, other declining grassland birds and pollinators across their ranges,” said National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative Director Don McKenzie. “Such an improved use for public conservation money spent by USDA would be the game changer for many declining wildlife species.”<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Studies have shown native plants provide equal or better benefits for soil conservation, water quality, carbon sequestration, ecosystem function, and livestock forage, while also providing excellent habitat for wildlife and pollinators. Increased use of native plants could benefit a wide range of species, including northern bobwhite, lesser prairie-chicken, greater sage-grouse, other upland game birds, songbirds, monarch butterflies and other pollinators.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“The Missouri Prairie Foundation and many other conservation groups and businesses in Missouri are pleased to have the opportunity to support this initiative,” said Carol Davit, Executive Director of the Missouri Prairie Foundation and its Grow Native! program. “Native plants in conservation practices benefit the land and wildlife, benefit the farmer, and the taxpayer.” <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“Native plants are adapted to a region’s soil and climate, so they should be easier to maintain and more likely to survive. Using native plants in all USDA conservation programs will help ensure that the conservation practices funded with our tax dollars will deliver on the water quality and other benefits promised,” said Duane Hovorka, Agriculture Program Director, Izaak Walton League of America.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>More information: <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/tcL-C4xkq7SBDEQOhV10ea?domain=u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net">NRCS practice standards - 86 groups encourage native plant use</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>photo (c) Doug Tallamy<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Emil<a href="http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://ymlpmail2.net/imgz/09yp_NPCCLogo2017red.jpg"></span></a>y B. Roberson, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/">Native Plant Conservation Campaign</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>415 531 4439<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:emilyr@plantsocieties.org">emilyr@</a><a href="mailto:emilyr@plantsocieties.org">plantsocieties.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The mission of the Native Plant Conservation Campaign is to promote the conservation of native plants and their habitats through collaboration, research, education, and advocacy.</span></em><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><a href="http://signup.ymlpmail2.net/xghwwhjjgmgb">Sign up for NPCC News</a>! </b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/plantsocieties"><b>Like us on Facebook!</b></a> <b><a href="http://plantsocieties.cnps.org/index.php/action-main/donate-to-campaign">Donate</a>!</b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please forward this message to any interested individuals or organizations. <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><br><a href="https://ymlpmail2.net/m/"><span style='color:black'>Powered by YMLP</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1 height=1 style='width:.0119in;height:.0119in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://ymlpmail2.net/283dfabexkhjuymdejqa/footer.gif" alt=" "><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>