Project abstract:the purpose of this award is threefold:1. Develop a paiute native plant center that specializes in native plant materials developmentcuration of tribespecific or tribedeveloped…

This $550,000 Cooperative Agreement, awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Plant Conservation and Restoration Management program (CFDA 15.245), will fund the development of a Paiute Native Plant Center in Utah. The Center will include greenhouse nurseries, seed processing facilities, and research areas, while providing native plant workforce training opportunities for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and rural communities in southern Utah and northern Arizona. Key project components include constructing greenhouses and seed processing infrastructure, establishing a production field and common garden, and collaborating with the Intertribal Nursery Council. The primary sub-recipient is the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, who will oversee the construction and share their indigenous plant knowledge. The project aims to increase regional seed collection capacity, support native plant conservation and restoration efforts, and engage underserved communities.

Project abstract:the purpose of this award is threefold:1. Develop a paiute native plant center that specializes in native plant materials developmentcuration of tribespecific or tribedeveloped breeder stock germplasm and partnerships with theblm 2. Build relationships between the tribe university scientists federal scientists and the intertribalnursery council AND3. Provide native plantrelated workforce training opportunities for members of the paiute indian tribe of utah pitu youth community members residing in rural southern utah and northern arizona hereafter referred to as rural communities. The activities to be performed include the development of a tribal nursery and facilities building of relationships between tribal members nonprofits and federal botanists and the training of seed collectors. Project components include the design and construction of two greenhouse nurseries design and construction of an outbuilding equipped with essential seed processing drying and cleaning equipment construction of a fenced production field and common garden experimental area joining the intertribal nursery council creation of a tribal nursery advisory council and development of a native plant seed collection and nursery management training program. Expected deliverables and outcomes includea native american operated native plant center that includes greenhouses a seed handling facility a production field and a common garden area tribal and nontribal partner membership in the intertribal nursery council creation of an interagency intertribal advisory council a native plant training program in collaboration with grand staircase escalante partners gsep and laying the groundwork for future development of additional work areas such as an herbarium. The intended beneficiaries include the paiute indian tribe of utah rural and economically disadvantaged communities located in southern utah and northern arizona and youth in need of workforce training opportunities related to managing a native plant program. The BLM will also benefit because this project will increase regional seed collection capacity and research opportunities. The subrecipients of this project are the paiute indian tribe of utah pitu and a TBD independent contractor who will perform an ethnographic analysis of southern paiute cultural uses of plants. Pitu will oversee the construction of greenhouses installation of a production field and common garden research area development of seed cleaning and shortterm storage facilities and share their indigenous knowledge as they see fit. The project manager will provide connections to botanists within federal organizations codevelop training programs with pitu recruit members to the advisory council assist with meeting all milestones and reporting and work together with pitu to plan and design future expansions of the project.