Market-based opportunities for expanding native seed resources for restoration: A case study on the Colorado Plateau

The National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration aims to increase the use of native seeds in rehabilitation and restoration projects. This requires the development of a native seed supply industry. This paper examines the challenge of developing native seed supply for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land holdings in the Colorado Plateau, USA. On the demand side of the market, native seed requirements are linked to events that trigger the need for restoration, such as wildfires, which are highly variable. The variability of demand is moderated somewhat by fire management and seed acquisition policies, but remains high. Acquisitions of native seeds are typically smaller in quantity and more variable than acquisitions of non-native seeds. Prices of native seeds are typically higher and more variable than prices of non-native seeds, while the price elasticity of demand for native seeds is typically lower than for non-native seeds. The variability of demand for native seeds has discouraged development of a native seed supply industry. We find that adoption of policies to stabilize demand, supported by contracts with growers, could help to encourage the emergence of a strong field-grown native seed sector in the Colorado Plateau.