The ICE age trail alliance (IATA) and the U.S. Fish and wildlife service partners for fish and wildlife program (PFW) see a growing demand for planting native plants on private and publiclands

Under a $138,000 cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3 under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program (CFDA 15.631), the Ice Age Trail Alliance, Inc. (IATA), a nonprofit organization, will establish a native plant nursery and seed cleaning facility, collect seeds, and convert agricultural land to prairie habitat along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin from 2023-2027. The project aims to increase the availability of prairie and oak savanna plant species to support habitat restoration efforts, as well as address national priorities such as climate change and the commitment to conserve 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030. Past federal grant funding to IATA has also supported land conservation, invasive species removal, prescribed burning, volunteer engagement, and public education along the Ice Age Trail.

Land stewardship continues to grow in wisconsin as more and more landowners, nongovernmental conservation groups and land trusts are interested to improve the quality of habitat for wildlife on their lands. Given the demand for this work, limited seed availability, and high cost for purchasing seed, the IATA and PFW are interested in collaborating with the plant conservation alliance (PCA) to promote the national seed strategy for rehabilitation and restoration by developing a native seed nursery, contributing towards healthy plant communities and sustainable ecosystems. This partnership effort is in lock step with executive order 14008, the commitment to conserve 30 of americas lands and waters by 2030, the 2021 U.S. Department of the interior (DOI) invasive species strategic plan (2021) and addresses national priorities such as climate change. In wisconsin, the PFW in partnership with IATA are collaborating to increase the availability of prairie and OAK savanna plant species for habitat restoration efforts in southern and southcentral wisconsin. Over the last five years, IATA and PFW have completed over (50) habitatrestoration projects to restore, enhance and protect prairie and OAK savanna habitats in southern and southcentral wisconsin, two of the most imperiled ecosystems in the state. Collaborative efforts have leveraged over ( 850,000) of federal and private funding to restore and enhance (500) acres of prairie and OAK savanna habitat. This effort has led to colonization of new sites for the federally endangered karner blue butterfly and rusty patched bubble BEE increased nectar sources for monarchs and other pollinators, improved grassland habitat for numerous imperiled grassland birds to include henslows, vesper and grasshopper sparrows, bobolinks and meadowlarks and working in rural landscapes, stimulated rural economies using local vendors and contractors do to most of the restoration work. Currently, both organizations collect local ecotype seed from remnant prairies or restoration projects where the seed origin is known. For example, in 2022, PFW and volunteers collected 52LBS of lupine, host plant for the federally endangered karner blue butterfly, at a value of 45,000. Collection was from endemic native ecotype seed and is used to seed future KBB sites. In addition, other nectar forbs were collected as well. These efforts could be accelerated with appropriate funding and infrastructure capabilities. IATA is dedicated to conserving, creating maintaining and promoting the ICE age national scenic trail in partnership with the national park service. The IATA owns and manages many properties along its connected thousand miles of trail. Recently, the IATA purchased a property for expansion of the ICE age trail which hosts approximately 20 acres of agricultural lands that will be converted to prairie beds for seed collecting. In addition, the property has a 50 X110-foot pole barn, ideal for setting up a seed cleaning facility. This effort fits into the objectives of the national seed strategy, success is being achieved through the establishment of nationwide networks of botanists, seed collectors, researchers to develop seed farmers to grow native seed nurseries and seed storage facilities to supply adequate quantities of appropriate seed and restoration ecologists to study and implement restoration techniques, national seed strategy progress report, 2015-2020.