We are requesting a total of $2,077,971.00 in U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) bipartisan infrastructure law - burned area recovery (BIL-bar) funding to have the university of georgia (UGA)…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $2,077,971.00 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation on August 1, 2025, under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (CFDA 15.631) to support native plant material development and restoration efforts. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Burned Area Recovery (BIL-BAR) initiative, the project will establish and operationalize the U.S. Forest Service National Seed Laboratory (NSL) in Dry Branch, Georgia as a designated Seeds of Success (SOS) cleaning and storing facility serving the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. The primary deliverables include collecting and processing a minimum of 700 SOS collections at the NSL, conducting robust native plant genetic analyses to inform collection and restoration practices, and ground-truthing existing seed exchange zones to protect plant species genetics while supporting economic viability of native seed use in post-fire restoration.

The award supports critical wildfire recovery and habitat restoration infrastructure with applications across federal, state, local, and private lands through September 2030. Key outcomes include rebuilding native plant communities, stabilizing soil, and ensuring long-term ecosystem health on burned and degraded lands. The project addresses a recognized national need for scaled native seed and plant material restoration capacity while advancing habitat resiliency through genetic analysis and science-based restoration practices.

We are requesting a total of $2,077,971.00 in U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) bipartisan infrastructure law - burned area recovery (BIL-bar) funding to have the university of georgia (UGA) support USFWS seeds of success efforts to develop native plant materials for stabilizing, rehabilitating and restoring lands. This project will assist team efforts to collect seeds and process no less than 700 seeds of success (SOS) collections at the U.S. Forest services (USFS) national seed laboratory (NSL). We will conduct robust native plant genetic analyses to guide future collection and restoration practices for habitat resiliency and wildfire recovery efforts. This funding request helps stand up the NSL in dry branch, georgia as a designated SOS cleaning and storing facility for the eastern seaboard and beyond to support native seed and plant material restoration nation-wide, a critical need for wildfire recovery and habitat restoration. Additionally, this funding request will provide the essential tools to ground-truth existing seed exchange zones to ensure plant species genetics are protected while maximizing economic viability for native seed use in post-fire restoration including rebuilding native plant communities, stabilizing soil, and ensuring long-term ecosystem health on federal, state, local, and private lands.