Native seed shortage hampers wildfire recovery in the West

High demand has increased the price and hurt the supply of native seeds needed to replant areas devastated by drought in some areas of the West and wildfires that burned millions of acres of land nationally.

Some agencies reported shortages of sagebrush seed as dry conditions hamper the ability of unburned plants to produce new seed for harvest.

Much of the fire-damaged landscape serves as valuable habitat for sage grouse, a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.