Cooperative Agreement L24AC00378

PROJECT ABSTRACT:PROJECT DESCRIPTIONKODIAK SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT DISTRICT WILL GATHER AND PROPAGATE NATIVE SEEDS AND PLANTS TO OFFER ECOSYSTEMFRIENDLY PLANTING AND REVEGETATION OPTIONS FOR GROWERS AND LAND MANAGERS. THE DISTRICT WILL PROVIDE A SUPPLY OF NATIVE PLANT OPTIONS FOR PARTNER AGENCY POSTFIRE REVEGETATION GENERAL REVEGETATION NEEDS AND PRIVATE LANDOWNER GARDENING PROJECTS. RARELY IF AT ALL CAN ONE FIND NATIVE SEEDS AND PLANTS FOR SALE IN KODIAK. THIS PROJECT WOULD HELP THE DISTRICT DEVELOP A NATIVE PLANT NURSERY IN KODIAK THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE SELFSUSTAINING. THE DISTRICT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS AND PROMOTE THEIR USE IN PUBLIC PROJECTS.HOW THE PROJECT WILL FURTHER CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND OR DOI PRIORITIES:TACKLING THE CLIMATE CRISIS AT HOME AND ABROADIN A CHANGING CLIMATE ECOSYSTEM THREATS WILL BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED AND SEVERE. REACTIVE MEASURES COST MORE TIME AND MONEY TO REMEDY THAN PREVENTING AND PREPARING FOR THREATS THAT WILL WORSEN WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. SOME THREATS INCLUDE NATURAL DISASTERS WILDFIRE INVASIVE SPECIES HABITAT LOSS AND OVERALL REDUCED ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY. NATIVE PLANTS USED IN REVEGETATION WILL BENEFIT THE NATIVE ECOSYSTEM AND ALLOW THE DISTRICT AND PARTNER AGENCIES TO ACT QUICKLY FOLLOWING NATURAL DISASTERS AND INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. PROVIDING NATIVE PLANTS TO GARDENERS AND LANDSCAPERS WILL HELP PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INVASIVE SPECIES AND IMPROVE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION.ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY AND SUPPORT FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIESWILD PLANTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL CORNERSTONE OF INDIGENOUS HISTORY AND CULTURAL PRACTICES REACHING BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS ON THE KODIAK ARCHIPELAGO. REDUCED NATIVE BIODIVERSITY WOULD HARM THE ABILITY OF INDIGENOUS SUGPIAQ ALUTIIQ PEOPLE TO CONTINUE CULTURAL PRACTICES. MANY RESIDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS WHO UTILIZE WILD PLANTS AND THE ANIMALS THAT DEPEND ON THEM FOR SUBSISTENCE WOULD BENEFIT FROM PROJECTS THAT HELP PROMOTE ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE. KODIAKS GROCERY PRICES ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY ANY REDUCTION IN FOOD SECURITY IS CONCERNING.EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND HOW THE OUTCOMES WILL BENEFIT THE PUBLIC:THE DISTRICT WILL USE THIS FUNDING TO DEVELOP A NATIVE PLANT NURSERY TO PROVISION THE COMMUNITY WITH GENETICALLY APPROPRIATE VEGETATION AND RESTORATION STOCK THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS BACKYARD HABITATS AND WILD ECOSYSTEMS. PLANT STOCK WILL BE DERIVED FROM LOCAL SEEDS AND PLANTS TO BE UTILIZED FOR AGENCY PARTNER PROJECTS SUCH AS THE BLM ALONG WITH COMMUNITYLED INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE LOCAL HABITATS AND FOOD SYSTEMS. NATIVE PLANTS COULD BE USED TO IMPROVE STREAM AND RIPARIAN HABITAT FOR SALMONIDS PROVIDE PLANTS TO GARDENERS FOR POLLINATOR SUPPORT AND FOR REVEGETATION PROJECTS TO COMBAT RECOLONIZATION OF INVASIVE SPECIES POSTERADICATION IN PUBLIC AREAS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE VECTORS FOR NONNATIVES I.E. TRAILHEADS ROADSIDES ETC.. THE DISTRICT HOPES TO CREATE A BOUTIQUE NATIVE PLANT INDUSTRY AND PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS TO AGRICULTURAL COOPERATORS LAND MANAGERS AND THE GENERAL COMMUNITY. FURTHERMORE AS A RESULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE KODIAK MAY FACE WILDFIRE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES AT LEVELS AND FREQUENCIES THAT IT HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED. THIS PROJECT WILL ENSURE THAT WE HAVE NATIVE SEED AND PLANTS AVAILABLE FOR FIRE AND NATURAL DISASTER RESTORATION