Scott Edwards - Louisiana Native Plant Initiative, Past and Future Possibilities

Past and Future Possibilities Scott Edwards Assistant State Conservationist for Programs USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Louisiana

LNPI – The Beginning - 2003 • There was a growing interest from public and private

sectors to utilize locally adapted native plant materials for restoration, conservation and re-vegetation projects.

• The lack of commercially available plant material that is adapted across the state of Louisiana is the greatest obstacle to projects succeeding.

• Commercial available sources of locally adapted plant materials have the potential to provide substantial ecological and economic benefits for Louisiana.

USDA-NRCS

The Customer

• In 2002 the USDA - NRCS in Louisiana undertook a

project to restore 250 acres of coastal prairie in Gueydan, LA, through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

• Owners Al and Deloris Dietz, was converted to

agricultural production in the 1940s. Unlike other WRP projects in Louisiana, this site was within the historic range of Louisiana’s coastal prairie

• Partnered with USGS to plan, plant and manage the first large scale Prairie WRP in the state.

USDA-NRCS Gueydan WRP • Restore Hydrology and Constructed mounds to mimic “pimple mounds” present before cultivation

• Landscape level plantings of commercially available seed drill seeded

• Transplanted sod from nearby prairie remnants – Feb 1, 2003

• Replicated experiments to test restoration methods

• Annual prescribed burns

2005 85 prairie plant species 19 grasses and 66 forbs

Federal Support for Use of Natives

• Gueydan Prairie WRP • CRP – CP 33 – 8,900 acres • CREP I –CP4D 14,000 acres (min 20%) CP2 – 500 acres

• Prairie CREP (2008) – 28,000 acres • SAFE – 3,500 acres

Status of Louisiana Natives in 2003 • No large scale

commercial sources of Louisiana local ecotypes

• Seed sources are disappearing

• NRCS PM Program not able to meet demand

• Commercially available native plants needed across the state

Status of Louisiana Natives in 2003 • No large scale

commercial sources of Louisiana local ecotypes

• Seed sources are disappearing

• NRCS PM Program not able to meet demand

• Commercially available native plants needed across the state

Flowchart For Problem Resolution NO

YES

Is It Working?

Don’t Mess With It! YES

Did You Mess With It?

Shame On You! NO

Anyone Else Knows?

NO

Hide It

YES

You’re TOAST!

NO

Can You Blame Someone Else?

Yes

NO PROBLEM!

YES

Will it Blow Up In Your Hands?

NO

Look The Other Way

Successful Local Ecotype Programs Public Funding • Iowa Ecotype Project • National Park Service / USDA Private Funding • Round Tree Nursery – Kentucky • Native American Seed (WRP Vendor) – Texas • Ernst Seed Company – Pennsylvania Combination Funding • South Texas Natives

Mission Statement The LNPI will collect, preserve, increase, and study native grasses, forbs and legumes from Louisiana ecosystems, conserving a vanishing natural resource and providing an essential step in the development of a native plant seed industry.

• Identify Target Species • Broad Base Collections • Initial Seed Increase • Extensive Evaluations • LA Grower Infrastructure

• Release to Commercial Grower

Advisory Committee – 2004 MOU • Diverse Group of Federal, State, and Local

Partners all working towards common goal

• Each individual will serve on one or more working groups

• Each working group will elect a Chair that will serve on the Executive Board

• Entire Committee will meet annually

Working Groups

•Plant Materials Development •Production / Infrastructure •Commercial Production •Finance / Fundraising

We engaged the Public and Partners

• Serve on the Advisory Committee - Diverse

Group of Federal, State, and Local Partners all working towards common goal

• Organizing Seed Collection Trips • Financial Support – Largest Unfunded

Mandate in the History of Partnerships -

Seed Collection

The Release Development Process Initial evaluation of plant materials at PMC

Initial seed and plant increase

SOURCEIDENTIFIED RELEASE (3 years)

Advanced evaluations at PMC or off-center sites

Field scale seed and plant increase

Field plantings with conservation districts and landowners

TESTED RELEASE (8 years)

Name new cultivar with cooperators

CULTIVAR RELEASE (10+ years)

SELECTED RELEASE (5 years) Production of foundation seed or plants

Commercial production of release

Market new plant release for conservation

Plant Production Facilities Kayouchee Prairie Site (7 acres) LA Environmental Research Center (2 acres)

Plant Production Facilities Golden Meadow Plant Materials Center Nicholls State School Farm – 10 acres

Plant Production Facilities ULL Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology (9 acres)

Kansas gayfeather Liatris pycnostachya

Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium

Texas coneflower Rudbeckia texana

Nodding wild-indigo Baptisia bracteata

• Funding Sources for 5 to 10 yrs – Long term

• Commitments from changing public administrations

• Commercial Seed

Industry Support of Releases

• Convincing funding

sources that the end product is a release

• Determine: How Local

Cajun Sunrise Germplasm Ashy Sunflower Helianthus mollis July 2012 First Release of LNPI Golden Meadow PMC

Coastal Plains Selected Class Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium August 2016 First grass Release East Texas PMC Golden Meadow PMC

Chinese proverb: If we don’t change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.

NRCS PM Model Lack of Sustained Funding - always just out of reach Earmarks, grants, agreements, • Sept 2014 – Dissolve the MOU with NRCS so there is a clear path for partners to move forward • Need to figure out who owns the seed?

• Original Intent of LNPI was the release does it go against all past funding sources.

• Each Production Facility Can Proceed

Future Efforts in Louisiana We need Targeted Outreach

by Conservation Partners Lack of Widespread Landowner or Producer Interest Challenges of NRCS Field Office Staff level of comfort Lack of large scale commercially available seed sources We need to link Prairie Restoration with working ag land

Continuing to Support and Work towards the Goal Earth Partners RCPP Pollinator Project NRCS Cost List adjustments for additional Financial Assistance

Regional Conservation Promotes coordination between NRCS and its partners to deliver conservation assistance to producers.

Assistance is provided through partnerships agreements.

RCPP VISION RCPP offers new opportunities for NRCS to work with partners to encourage:

• • • • • •

locally driven innovation create high-performing solutions harness innovation accelerate the conservation mission launch bold ideas demonstrate the value and efficacy of voluntary, private lands conservation.

All projects are equally evaluated, regardless of size.

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Funding Available Funding • 7 percent of funds from the four covered programs – Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) ! Agricultural Lands Easements ! Wetlands Reserve Easements – Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) – Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP)

– $100 Million of direct RCPP funding each year

Funding Pools • 25 percent for State Projects • 40 percent for National Projects • 35 percent for Projects in Critical Conservation Areas 32

Selection Process • NRCS will conduct a competitive process to select applications for partnership agreements.

• Pre-proposal – Full Proposal - Selection Agreement • Multi partner proposals will have lead partner • Multistate projects will have a lead state for each project to develop and enter into the partnership agreements, using a national template.

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Measures of Success For this new flagship program, NRCS will specifically measure environmental successes through the following four criteria:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Solutions Contributions Innovation Participation 34

Questions?????