Restoring Western Grasslands With Native Seed: A National Park Service Project

Grasslands have declined sharply across the western United States. More frequent and intense fires, invasive species and encroaching development — stresses made worse by climate change — have let invasive plants spread widely. Restoring them depends on native seed that can crowd the invaders out.

A grassland at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. NPS Photo / L. Carter.

The project

In fiscal year 2024 the National Park Service received $360,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for this work, listed under the National Seed Strategy and invasive species. It will restore grassland ecosystems in selected national parks in Arizona and Colorado, to help conserve landscapes, slow the loss of grasslands and build a core of healthy grasslands for the wildlife and communities that rely on them. The Park Service will:

• collect native seed and grow it in larger quantities for restoration in central grasslands;
• survey for and control the invasive plants that most threaten how the grasslands function;
• train and equip restoration practitioners;
• carry out site-specific work, such as direct seeding, to improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

Working across boundaries

The work depends on partnerships across jurisdictions. The Park Service will work with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and Native American tribes to make more native, locally adapted seed available for grassland restoration. Parks associated with the project include Capulin Volcano, Chiricahua, Fossil Butte and Montezuma Castle national monuments, Coronado National Memorial and Fort Bowie National Historic Site.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds the resilience and restoration of public lands and waters — from repaired trails and campgrounds to invasive species removal and healthier wetlands, grasslands and forests.

Sources

• National Park Service: "Project Profile: Produce Seed for Intermountain Grasslands and Restore Intermountain Central Grasslands," Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.