Specifications include, but are not limited to: This project will support grow out and production of 2 native grass species, squirreltail and Thurber’s needlegrass, from northern Nevada to build foundation stock seed for future restoration efforts. A portion of the produced seed may feed into future genetic research, although these funds do not directly support that research but rather ongoing agricultural seed production. The populations the original collections came from are important for restoration for a variety of reasons including: 1) their origin in the western Great Basin, which has not been a focus of current seed suppliers; 2) their tested ability to grow under challenging conditions; 3) their coverage of some of the most frequently burned areas of the Great Basin; 4) their spread across multiple seed zones; and 5) the fact that they are planted and already producing seed, saving years of work. Squirreltail populations are mixed Elymus elymoides and E. multisetus, which is how they grow in this region, and all fields are certified as “Source Identified” through the Washington State Crop Improvement Association, which is important for growers who would want to sell to federal agencies who require this. Please see attachment for more information.
