The State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia recently received $1.6 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a native seed network for restoration projects in Georgia.

During a visit to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in April, Joan Mooney, principal deputy assistant secretary for policy, management and budget for the U.S. Department of the Interior, highlighted the collaborative partnership between the botanical garden, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in establishing the Georgia Native Seed Network to produce locally adapted seeds and other plant materials across much of the Southeast.

“I could never fix a problem if I couldn’t see it on the ground,” said Mooney. “There’s no substitute for being with and learning from the people who are leading and doing this work.”

“Not everyone knows or understands this work, but it’s critical for our country and for Georgia.”

When a natural disaster occurs, such as a wildfire, replanting the vegetation may be necessary. The State Botanical Garden’s grasslands coordinator, Zach Wood, said restoration work aims to return an area to its original state using native species.

“All of our wildlife fit into this big system, so if you bring plant species in that’s not part of the system, it doesn’t help them,” said Wood. “Native wildlife needs native species.”

The University of Georgia’s land-grant and sea-grant mission is focused on providing critical research and service to our state, and this grant supports the work of the State Botanical Garden to collect and conserve native plant species specific to our region.

“The University of Georgia is honored to be selected for a site visit from the U. S. Department of the Interior leadership to see first-hand the vital contribution we are making in research and conservation of native seeds,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The work represents one of the many ways the University of Georgia is fulfilling its responsibility to serve Georgia and its citizens, both now and in the future.”

When the State Botanical Garden and partners try to tackle restoration projects in Georgia, they can’t purchase the native plant material they need. The grant for the Georgia Native Seed Network will address this need by supporting new positions at the State Botanical Garden for conservation experts to collect seeds from the different ecoregions of Georgia.

“The development of native plant material is a high priority for the U.S. Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure we meet future habitat restoration demands and prepare for future natural disaster recovery actions following severe storms or wildfires occurring on public and private lands,” said Joe Kirsch, fish and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The collected seeds will be propagated and farmed for critical restoration projects. Native plants provide green infrastructure that is critical for emergency preparedness, food security and to mitigate the effects of natural disasters such as large storms, floods and fire. The plants grown will also be put into trade for commercial producers to grow and sell these native plants as well.

“This grant will help create a new market for agricultural producers,” said Wood. “It’s expensive to start the market, so if we can create a demand and support growers, we can help until the demand catches up.”

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a unit of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia, is a hub for plant conservation and native species production. The garden is the headquarters for the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, a network of more than 50 institutions, agencies and organizations committed to ecological land management, native plant conservation, and protection of rare and endangered plants.

In 2023, the State Botanical Garden, with the help of volunteers and partners, collected seeds of 40 native species across three different ecoregions in Georgia. Of the species collected, 24 are already in production for restoration projects.

“We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the support that will help us provide for this critical need in Georgia and across the southeastern U.S.,” said State Botanical Garden Director Jenny Cruse-Sanders. “This project represents more than a decade of research and evaluation at the State Botanical Garden to develop native plant materials for conservation. It will have a profound impact on restoration and conservation throughout the region.”

For more information about the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, visit botgarden.uga.edu.