Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Local governments, federal elected officials, media all show dramatic increase in awareness of benefits of native plants.
August 18, 2018
We are living in historic times for native plant conservation. Recent events suggest that native plant conservation is becoming more mainstream than ever as demand for native plants is growing exponentially!
- A recent article in the very mainstream Wall Street Journal examined the hitherto esoteric topic of Plant Blindness. The article discussed some of the many serious problems that result from Plant Blindness. The fact that the WSJ recognized both that the phenomenon exists and that it is dangerous shows a significant expansion of mainstream awareness of plant issues.
- The Botany Bill (a.k.a. the Botanical Sciences and Native Plant Materials Research, Restoration, and Promotion Act) has been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. The bill encourages federal land management agencies to hire botanists, conduct research on native plant materials, and incorporate native plants in federal projects. The bills demonstrate that even federal elected officials are becoming aware that locally adapted natives improve the resiliency, productivity and societal benefits of managed landscapes and natural areas alike.
- This trend is also reflected in the growing number of local and state governments that are adopting “natives first” policies and projects. We chronicle some of these initiatives in our Native Plants in the News section of the NPCC website. Examples include:
Check out the
Native Plants in the News section of the NPCC Website to see more of how native plants and the people who conserve them are featured the news around the country and around the world.
