The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced the allocation of $41 million for ecosystem restoration funding as part of the Investing in America agenda. This marks the third installment in a series of investments dedicated to ecosystem restoration.
The funds will be used to support 74 projects across 16 states, according to a news release issued on February 8. The projects include an estimated $9.4 million for the restoration of abandoned mine lands through 15 different initiatives, $6.3 million for 15 projects implementing the BLM’s National Seed Strategy, and $862,000 for three projects aimed at eradicating and controlling invasive weeds.
"Resilient landscapes are our best natural defenses against climate change. As we continue to see unprecedented wildfire, plants blooming uncharacteristically at different times of the year, warmer waters in our streams, and more, these investments are critical to providing clean water, reliable habitat, and resilience to wildfire for future generations," said Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the BLM.
The National Seed Strategy is an integral part of the BLM Plant Conservation and Restoration Program which was initiated between 1999 and 2000. In collaboration with Plant Conservation Alliance members and cooperators, the BLM developed this strategy in 2015 with an aim to increase the availability of native seed supply for commercial restoration. Over five years, nearly 350 partners at tribal, state, federal levels as well as non-governmental entities have worked towards achieving the goals set by this strategy resulting in almost 9,000 native seed collections. To date, there have been over 27,000 Seeds of Success collections according to information available on the BLM's webpage dedicated to the history of National Seed Strategy.
In addition to these initiatives, Stone-Manning revealed that $22 million will be allocated towards addressing threats faced by communities, wildlife and visitors across 21 restoration landscapes around the country. An additional $1.8 million will fund eight projects aimed at improving public access and/or recreation sites in six states. These projects are focused on expanding campsites and day use sites, creating trails, and enhancing accessibility.
