Mission Statement
The Louisiana Native Plant Initiative will collect, preserve, increase, and study native grasses, forbs and legumes from Louisiana ecosystems, conserving a vanishing natural resource and providing an essential step in the development of a native plant seed industry that will supply plant materials for restoration, revegetation, roadside plantings and the ornamental plant industry.
Executive Summary
There is a growing interest from public and private sectors to utilize locally adapted native plant materials for restoration, conservation and revegetation projects. Conservationists have experienced inconsistent results when establishing native species ranging from success to complete stand failure. The lack of commercially available plant material that is adapted across the state of Louisiana is the largest contributing factor to stand failures. Restoration experts agree that plant materials native to an area must be used in conservation projects to achieve long term sustainability. Commercial available sources of locally adapted plant materials have the potential to provide substantial ecological and economic benefits for Louisiana.
