CONTENTS

About the Bureau of Land Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Native Plants in America: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Importance of Native Plants: 

A Wealth of Benefits and Ecosystem Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Foundation of Life and Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Their Role in Crops, Medicines, and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Their Role in Climate Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Their Role in Erosion, Flood, and Drought Moderation . . . . . . 7

Native Plants in Crisis: A Closer Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Facing Habitat Loss and Natural Disasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Facing the Threat of Invasive Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Susceptibility to Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Decline of Pollinator Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Preserving and Restoring Native Plant Populations . . . . . . . . . 11

Categories of Protections Available to Native Plants . . . . . . . 11

How Plant and Animal Protections Differ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Responding to Climate Change and 

Habitat Restoration Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

What’s Happening Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

How You Can Contribute to Native Plant Protection . . . . . . . 15
1

About the 

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

The Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) cares for about 245 million 

acres of federally owned public 

lands, mainly in the Western 

United States and Alaska. These 

lands, representing about oneeighth of our nation’s land area, 

belong to all Americans. In 

addition, the BLM administers 

700 million acres of mineral 

estate across the entire country. 

Public lands are used for many 

purposes. They support local 

economies, providing Americans 

with coal, oil and gas, forest 

products, livestock forage, and 

other commodities. As a haven 

for plants and wildlife, they 

play a critical role in habitat 

and resource conservation 

efforts. They embrace some of 

our country’s most important 

historical, archaeological, and 

paleontological sites. Open 

spaces on public lands offer 

places for people to play, 

learn, and explore. In recent 

years, some BLM lands have 

been designated as part of the 

National Landscape Conservation 

System, a network of lands 

afforded special status and 

managed almost exclusively to 

conserve their scientific, cultural, 

educational, ecological, and other 

values.

The BLM is responsible for 

managing public lands under 

the principles of multiple use 

and sustained yield in a manner 

that best meets the current and 

future needs of the public. With 

so many resources and uses, 

the BLM’s job is challenging.

Thankfully, countless partners, 

volunteers, and communities 

provide invaluable support, 

helping the agency carry out its 

stewardship mission. To learn 

more about your public lands, 

visit http://www.blm.gov.
2 NATIVE PLANTS

NATIVE PLANTS IN AMERICA: 

An Overview

The United States is home to a 

vast range of wild plant life in 

a diverse array of ecosystems, 

including broadleaf forests, 

temperate grasslands, and 

desert scrub. From tiny willows 

in the Arctic to swaying 

palmettos in the South, from 

carnivorous bog plants in 

the Southeast to seasonal 

wildflowers in the West, 

America harbors an exceptional 

variety of native vegetation. 

But America’s native plant 

communities are under threat: 

habitat loss, overgrazing, 

wildfires, multiplying invasive 

exotic species, chemical 

pollution, and climate change 

have all taken their toll. As 

natural habitats have been 

degraded, native plant 

communities have lost 

their resilience, and many 

native plant species 

have become 

endangered or extinct.

Diversity, which is so essential 

to stable, balanced ecosystems, 

has declined. Some threats to 

native plant communities are 

specific to particular regions. 

But others—such as the spread 

of invasive species—exist 

virtually everywhere. More than 

200 of America’s native plant 

species are estimated to have 

been lost just since the early 

19th century. 

As the nation’s largest land 

manager, the BLM has a special 

responsibility and unique 

opportunity to slow or stop 

this decline. BLM public lands 

encompass more than 50 

ecoregions—areas defined by 
NATIVE PLANTS 3

the native plant communities 

they host. Sagebrush steppe 

blankets the Great Basin, 

piñon and juniper woodlands 

surround desert grasslands 

in the Colorado Plateau, and 

saguaro cacti reach for Sonoran 

Desert skies in arid shrublands. 

Native plant communities 

play a vital role in meeting 

the BLM’s multiple-use, 

sustained-yield mission 

because maintaining healthy 

ecosystems, conserving 

habitat for fish and wildlife, 

and managing unique 

landscapes all depend on 

native plants.

The native plant communities 

on BLM public lands offer 

habitat for iconic western 

wildlife species, as well as more 

than 70 wildlife and 170 plant 

species listed as threatened 

or endangered under the 

U.S. Endangered Species 

Act of 1973. An even greater 

number of rare and sensitive 

species—those that warrant 

special management attention 

to prevent future listing as 

threatened or endangered—

depend on BLM public lands.

These include more than 

1,500 species of native plants.
4 NATIVE PLANTS

IMPORTANCE OF NATIVE PLANTS: A 

Wealth of Benefits and Ecosystem Services

Foundation of Life 

and Biodiversity

In North America, native species 

are generally recognized as those 

that existed on the continent 

prior to contact by Europeans 

in the late 15th century. The 

largest communities of native 

plant species in the U.S. are 

found where there is a variety 

of elevations, landforms, and 

climatic patterns and in 

evolutionary “hot spots”—those 

areas hosting many species of 

one genus. California leads the 

nation with more than 5,000 

species of native plants, followed 

by Texas with more than 4,500. 

Plants provide the fundamental 

services upon which most 

life depends. Through 

photosynthesis, plants convert 

water and carbon dioxide into 

the oxygen and sugars that 

provide the primary fuel for 

life. Plants are the foundation 

of virtually the entire terrestrial 

food chain, sustaining humans 

as well as wildlife. Native 

plant species have generally 

adapted and evolved with the 

competing species, predators, 

and diseases of an area over 

many thousands of years. 

They are therefore usually in 

reasonable ecological balance 

with their associates and 

competitors.

Native plant communities 

provide food, cover, and 

nesting areas needed by 

animals adapted to a particular 

ecosystem, tying together the 

fates of both the native plants 

and animals. Native plant 

species significantly influence 

overall biodiversity and the 

fates of individual species 

adapted to highly specific 

habitats. For example, the 

Greater Sage-Grouse is a 

large, ground-dwelling bird 

that relies exclusively on 

sagebrush steppe plant 

communities of the Western 

U.S., using sagebrush itself and 

other native plants for cover 

and food. Greater Sage-Grouse 

populations have declined as a 
NATIVE PLANTS 5

result of loss, degradation, and 

fragmentation of sagebrush 

plant communities. Existing 

sagebrush communities are 

subject to disease, insect 

predation, and drought along 

with long-term stressors, such 

as fire, changing climate, and 

incursions of invasive species.

Today, there are about 40 

percent fewer Greater SageGrouse than in the 1970s, 

occupying only 56 percent of 

the species’ historic territory. 

The BLM and the U.S. Forest 

Service are working with other 

agencies, tribes, and private 

landowners to conserve and 

restore the native plants in the 

remaining sagebrush steppe 

communities on both public 

and private lands.

Their Role in Crops, 

Medicines, and Culture

The benefits of native plants 

and the ecosystem services 

they provide extend to humans 

as well, especially in the 

form of food sources. Over 

the centuries, farmers have 

selectively bred native wild 

plants into high-yield, diseaseresistant crops. However, today 

90 percent of the world’s food 

comes from only 20 such plant 

species; as a result, the genetic 

makeup of each species of our 

main food crops is essentially 

homogeneous. This lack of 

genetic diversity can result 

in crop failure if the plants 

face an unfamiliar disease.

For example, in 1970, a new 

fungus destroyed 15 percent 

of the U.S. corn crop. Each 

year, researchers find hundreds 

of new potential sources of 

food from wild native plants, 

which could be developed 

into alternative or replacement 

food sources. Two examples 

on public lands are piñon nuts 

in the Southwest and wild 

mushrooms in the Northwest.

An estimated 40 to 50 percent 

of existing medicines also 

originated in native plants, 

whose medicinal qualities were 

historically discovered 

by trial and error. For 

instance, ancient 

humans noticed that 

pain disappeared when 

they drank tea made 

from the bark of 

willow trees. In the 

early 19th century, scientists 

identified the therapeutic 

substance in willow bark as 

salicin, the chemical that led to 

the development of modernday aspirin. Native plants also 

offer an irreplaceable gene 

pool for new medicines. For 

example, in 2012, researchers 

from the University of Kansas’ 

Native Medicinal Plant 

Research Program identified 

14 compounds in the common 

U.S. wild tomatillo plant 

that exhibited anti-cancer 

properties in early testing. 

The new compounds are 

showing promise in fighting 

a number of different cancers 

without any noticeable side 

effects or toxicity. Scientists 

can only speculate about the 

countless other medicines that 

are waiting to be discovered; 

of the 250,000 known plant 

species on earth, it is estimated 

that only 2 percent have been 

chemically analyzed for medical 

potential.
6 NATIVE PLANTS

For Native American tribes with 

small land bases, BLM public 

lands are particularly important 

collecting sites. Native plants 

have played unique roles 

in Native American life and 

cultures for thousands of years. 

Plants are consumed for food 

and medicine, but they are 

also used in ceremonial rites 

and the cultural revitalization 

efforts currently being pursued 

by many tribes. For example, 

in California, tribal elders use 

native redbud and sourberry 

plants in teaching younger 

tribe members basketry and 

other traditional arts.

Their Role in Climate 

Modulation

Once established, native plants 

are also effective moderators 

of climate. As concern has 

grown about the rising 

concentration of atmospheric 

carbon dioxide—one of the 

principal greenhouse gases 

linked to climate change—

so has interest in carbon 

sequestration. Plants facilitate 

the sequestration process 

by removing carbon dioxide 

from the atmosphere during 

photosynthesis and storing it 

as biomass both above ground 

in leaves and stems and below 

ground in roots. The biomass 

later decomposes to organic 

matter in soils. Since native 

plant root systems tend to be 

dense, their roots store great 

amounts of carbon relative to 

the leaves, stalks, and other 

visible portions of the plants.

Forests are especially important 

in this regard, acting as major 

carbon sinks. 
NATIVE PLANTS 7

Their Role in Erosion, 

Flood, and Drought 

Moderation

Erosion occurs when wind, 

water, or ice dislodges soil 

particles and carries the 

particles off a slope, forming 

rills and gullies that can even 

trigger landslides. Raindrops 

hitting the soil surface can 

also meld the soil particles 

into a crust that prevents 

infiltration, promotes floods, 

and destabilizes slopes. Native 

trees and shrubs intercept 

precipitation before it hits the 

soil surface, reducing runoff 

and increasing infiltration. 

Native plant communities offer 

a variety of root systems and 

interact with lichens, mosses, 

and other plants to capture 

moisture, reduce erosion, and 

increase penetration of water 

into the soil, thereby reducing 

both floods and droughts. Plant 

litter helps to develop organic 

layers in the soil that also can 

trap moisture. Deep, woody 

roots lock soil layers together, 

horizontal roots connect plants 

in an interlocking grid, and fine 

feeder roots form a network 

through the upper soil layer. 

The complex root systems of 

native plants also filter water, 

absorbing pollutants as the 

water migrates into the ground.

These complex root systems 

enable established native 

plant communities to better 

withstand and recover after 

wildfires and resist invasion by 

alien plant species.
8 NATIVE PLANTS

NATIVE PLANTS IN CRISIS: 

A Closer Look 

reduce the fuel buildups that 

feed wildfires and to contain 

the spread of wildfires that do 

occur on public lands.

Facing the Threat of 

Invasive Species

After habitat loss, pesticide 

use and invasions of nonnative 

species present the greatest 

threats to native plants. In 

a native ecosystem, species 

evolve together with checks 

and balances, such as pests, 

predators, and diseases, that 

limit the population growth of 

any one species. When a 

nonnative species is introduced, 

it has no limiting factors, and 

its population may explode, 

resulting in the loss of native 

plant species or native plant 

communities. When nonnative 

plants rapidly grow and spread 

over large areas, they are 

considered invasive plants.

Facing Habitat Loss 

and Natural Disasters

Overgrazing, residential and 

commercial development, 

mining, and other human 

activities have adversely 

impacted many native plant 

communities through habitat 

degradation or loss. Natural 

disasters affect plant habitats, 

too. Such events may have 

particularly intense impacts 

on those species with small 

populations, restricted ranges, 

slow reproductive rates, or 

limited dispersal mechanisms.

For example, although some 

native plant species actually 

depend on regular wildland fires 

in order to reproduce, a very 

hot, catastrophic wildfire may 

wipe out entire populations 

as well as seeds that could 

germinate in the future to 

restore the site. The BLM 

and other land management 

agencies work cooperatively to 
NATIVE PLANTS 9

Nonnative plant species often 

have characteristics that 

enable them to out-compete 

native plants for moisture, 

sunlight, nutrients, space, or 

reproductive advantage. For 

example, a nonnative plant 

may flower more frequently 

and produce more seeds than 

local native species, giving it 

an edge in competition for 

moisture. Some plants even 

produce chemicals in their 

leaves or root systems that 

inhibit the growth of other 

plants around them. As a result 

of such invasions, biodiversity is 

reduced, hydrologic conditions 

and flooding regimes are 

altered, erosion increases, 

habitat is degraded, wildfires 

burn longer and spread faster, 

and the genetic composition 

of individual native species 

may be changed through 

hybridization.

Cheatgrass is an invasive 

annual grass that is of 

particular concern on BLMmanaged lands, many of 

which are located in the arid 

environments in which the 

species thrives. Cheatgrass 

produces huge volumes of 

seeds and easily depletes soil 

moisture, so it establishes 

itself quickly on disturbed 

sites. Mature cheatgrass plants 

offer poor-quality forage for 

livestock, and sharp-pointed 

cheatgrass seeds can harm the 

mouths of grazing animals.

The most profound impact 

of cheatgrass is its influence 

on fire regimes. Cheatgrass 

produces large amounts 

of connected fuel, which 

promotes hotter, larger, and 

more frequent wildfires. 

Because the interval between 

fires is shortened, native 

perennial vegetation is unable 

to completely recover before 

the next fire. At the same time, 

cheatgrass continues to spread, 

and the cycle continues. 

Native plant communities, 

such as sagebrush steppe, 

are eventually removed from 

the ecosystem, resulting in a 

cheatgrass monoculture (when 

only a single type of plant 

grows in an area). This invasive 

plant has been identified as 

one of the most problematic 

within historic Greater SageGrouse habitats.

Nationally, public lands are being overrun by invasive weeds at 

a rate of 4,600 acres per day, and 4,000 species of exotic plants 

have established free-living populations in the U.S. Of these, 700 

are known to adversely affect livestock pastures and agricultural 

lands, and more than 1,000 are a threat to natural areas.
10 NATIVE PLANTS

Susceptibility to 

Climate Change

Many rare, threatened, and 

endangered native plants are 

highly susceptible to extinction 

as a result of climate change, 

principally because of small 

population sizes, restricted 

overall range, and limited 

suitable habitat types. Climate 

change can alter plant life 

stages, such as leaf emergence 

or flowering period, which 

may hinder survival and 

reproduction. Various studies 

estimate that plant hardiness 

zones may shift up to 90 miles 

north or south under the stress 

of climate change. Some 

species will likely stay in place 

and adapt to new conditions; 

others will gradually migrate to 

new locations; and still other 

species will become extinct.

In the face of climate change, 

nonnative plant species can 

pose an even greater threat 

to native plants because 

nonnatives tend to do well 

in changing conditions, outcompeting native plants for 

vital resources. It is crucial that 

conservation efforts protect 

and manage large areas of 

habitat for native plants.

Without these efforts, climate 

change will result in changes 

in ecosystem structure and 

the possible loss of essential 

ecosystem services.

The Decline of 

Pollinator Populations

For 75 to 95 percent of 

flowering plants, seeds can 

only be produced when 

pollen is transferred between 

flowers of the same species 

by pollinators that visit flowers 

to gather nectar or pollen.

Most animal pollinators are 

invertebrates, including flies, 

beetles, butterflies, moths, and 

bees. Pollen grains become 

attached to the animal’s body; 

the pollinator then unknowingly 

transports those pollen grains 

when it visits another flower, 

possibly resulting in successful 

reproduction 

of that plant.

Unfortunately, some pollinator 

species have seen a 90-percent 

decline in their populations 

over the last decade, 

attributable most directly to 

habitat loss or degradation 

due to human activities and 

invasive plant species. Similar 

to the honey bee die-offs 

and hive collapses that have 

been prominently discussed 

in recent news, populations 

of native bumble bees have 

suffered significant mortality. 

Population declines among 

pollinating insects can have 

devastating effects when the 

plant/pollinator relationship 

is very specific. For example, 

the Joshua tree in the Mojave 

Desert ecosystem is exclusively 

pollinated by a single species 

of moth and is unable to 

reproduce without it.
NATIVE PLANTS 11

PRESERVING AND RESTORING 

NATIVE PLANT POPULATIONS

Categories of 

Protections Available 

to Native Plants

The Center for Plant 

Conservation reports that 

nearly 30 percent of the native 

flora in the U.S. are considered 

to be of conservation concern.

More than 850 of them are on 

the federal list of threatened 

and endangered species, which 

is maintained by the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. A species 

is considered endangered when 

it is at risk of becoming extinct 

in the near future (if not 

adequately protected). A species 

is considered threatened 

when it is likely to become 

endangered in the near future 

(if not adequately protected).

Population numbers are not 

the only measure of biological 

importance. High-priority 

species often include endemics 

(plants that are native to 

one specific area and exist 

nowhere else). These species 

are particularly susceptible 

to environmental change and 

are often indicators of unique 

and rare habitats. The BLM 

manages land with significant 

numbers of endemic species in 

California, Utah, Nevada, and 

Arizona.

How Plant and Animal 

Protections Differ

The conservation process of 

plants is different from that of 

animals, because animals can 

be relocated before a threat 

to their population reaches 

a critical level. Additionally, 

individual animals can move 

quickly to a different locality 

if they sense a threat to their 

survival. Because of their lack 

of mobility, plants often die 

when calamity strikes. In many 

cases, plant communities 

can be relocated only with 

great difficulty because of 

the specific climatic and 

environmental conditions they 

require to survive.

One of the best tools for 

fighting species loss is the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

of 1973. Its purpose is to 

protect and recover imperiled 

species and the ecosystems 

upon which they depend. Since 

it was passed, the ESA has 

been 99 percent successful 

in preventing the extinction 

of listed species. When listed 

under the ESA, imperiled 

animals are protected wherever 

they live, while listed plants 

are protected only on federal 

lands.
12 NATIVE PLANTS

Because plants do not receive 

ESA protection on private land, 

the BLM’s role in conserving 

native plant communities on 

federal lands is critical. The 

BLM manages special-status 

species, which include ESA 

listed species, ESA candidate 

species, and rare species, on 

public lands. The ultimate 

goal for managing rare plant 

species is to prevent future 

listing under the ESA, while 

listed plants are managed for 

conservation and recovery of 

their populations. To address 

threats and maintain viable 

populations, the BLM’s Plant 

Conservation Program focuses 

on four management areas: 

(1) inventory, to understand 

where native plants are located 

and how they are faring; (2) 

planning, to include native 

plant management and 

conservation in all BLM work; 

(3) monitoring and research, 

to ensure that current native 

plant data and trends are used 

to make informed decisions 

in managing the land; and 

(4) coordination across 

jurisdictional and political 

boundaries, to ensure that 

native plant management is 

both efficient and consistent.

Responding to Climate 

Change and Habitat 

Restoration Needs

The BLM Plant Conservation 

Program works with partner 

organizations to bring 

American native plants to 

the forefront of conservation 

on BLM public lands. Across 

the western states and on 

the scattered BLM public 

lands in the eastern states, 

the program addresses many 

aspects of plant species 

conservation, including 

native seed collection, 

rare plant conservation, 

restoration, native plant 

materials development, and 

public education. These 

activities are accomplished in 

cooperation with the program’s 

partner organizations, which 

range from universities and 

businesses to nonprofit 

organizations, tribes, local 

governments, and other federal 

agencies. For example, several 

BLM field offices work in 

partnership with local tribes to 

facilitate the use of restoration 

seed mixes that include species 

with cultural and other value 

to tribe members.
NATIVE PLANTS 13

Through its Plant Conservation 

Program, the BLM has taken 

a lead role in collaborating 

with partners to develop highquality seeds and seedlings of 

America’s native plant species 

for restoration, rehabilitation, 

and reclamation. The Seeds of 

Success program coordinates 

collection of seeds for research 

and long-term conservation 

storage. The collection and 

banking of seeds from native 

wildland species will help 

safeguard those that face 

habitat loss and fragmentation 

resulting from climate change 

and other disturbances. The 

Seeds of Success native seed 

collection maintains specimens 

from more than 5,000 native 

plant species. A portion of 

these collections is used for 

research that will help increase 

the availability of native 

plant materials and provide 

information on techniques 

for successful use of native 

plants in projects. This work 

is also done in conjunction 

with other programs within 

the BLM, such as testing 

trials of native forb seeds for 

use in reclamation projects 

in Wyoming. Uncertainties 

associated with climate change 

make seed banking and native 

plant materials development 

a vitally important adaptation 

strategy for natural resource 

management, conservation, and 

ecosystem restoration activities 

conducted by land managing 

agencies such as the BLM.

The BLM Plant Conservation 

Program also has a partnership 

with NatureServe to develop 

climate change vulnerability 

indices for cactus species 

in portions of the Mojave, 

Sonoran, and Chihuahuan 

Deserts, where the BLM is 

developing solar energy 

projects. Vulnerability indices 

evaluate species’ sensitivity 

to climate change. Scientists 

from the Chicago Botanic 

Garden in collaboration with 

Northwestern University are 

also working with the BLM to 

develop species distribution 

models that reflect various 

climate change scenarios for 

more than 400 native plants 

found on BLM public lands.

The data from these scientific 

studies can assist the BLM 

in making well-informed 

land management decisions 

regarding future renewable 

energy projects.
14 NATIVE PLANTS

What’s Happening Now

On a national level, the 

BLM works with the Plant 

Conservation Alliance, a group 

of more than 300 public and 

private organizations that share 

the same goal: “to protect 

native plants by ensuring 

that native plant populations 

and their communities are 

maintained, enhanced, and 

restored.” Coordinating 

with other federal agencies 

and organizations reduces 

duplication of effort and 

pools resources for plant 

conservation.

On a local level, the BLM 

has numerous projects run 

by its many field offices. In 

cooperation with BLM-Utah’s 

Grand Staircase-Escalante 

National Monument and the 

Grand Staircase-Escalante 

Partners, students from Kanab 

High School’s natural resource 

management class take field 

trips to the monument to 

identify native vegetation 

and collect seeds from native 

winterfat plants. Seedlings 

are grown in their school 

greenhouse over the winter 

and planted at the monument 

in the spring to restore wildlife 

habitat. In southern Nevada, 

BLM staff and community 

volunteers spring into action 

when the iconic Joshua tree 

experiences a rare year of 

exceptional seed production.

The seeds are cleaned and 

placed in conservation storage 

through the Seeds of Success 

program. These are just two 

examples of how partnerships 

and volunteers—all of us—can 

make a difference for native 

plants on our public lands.
NATIVE PLANTS 15

How You Can Contribute to 

Native Plant Protection

Learn more about native plants, get involved, and 

spread the word!

• Visit the BLM Plant Conservation website at http://www.

blm.gov/plants for more information on plant restoration, 

conservation, partnership efforts, and the Seeds of Success 

program.

• Encourage conservation of native plant habitats in your 

local community.

• Volunteer at BLM sites and in parks, national forests, and 

other public lands to help protect native plants and their 

habitats. To view available volunteer opportunities, please visit 

http://www.volunteer.gov.

• Get involved with a local native plant group, botanical garden, 

or garden club.
16 NATIVE PLANTS

• Never collect native plants from the wild—they might be rare 

or endangered species!

• Order garden plants only from reputable nurseries that 

propagate from nursery-grown material.

• Talk to your local garden stores, and ask them to stock native 

trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials, as well as plants that 

supply nectar to pollinators.

• Contact a local school, and share your knowledge and 

appreciation of native plants with tomorrow’s leaders.

• Encourage schools to include plant conservation in their 

curricula.

• Stay informed: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered 

species database is at http://www.fws.gov/endangered, and 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service maintains lists of federal and state noxious 

weeds at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/

ourfocus/planthealth.

• If you are at a BLM site or in a national or state park, national 

wildlife refuge, or other public land site and you think you may 

have discovered a new invasive species, contact the closest 

management office to report your findings.

• Avoid inadvertently spreading the seeds of invasive plant 

species. Learn more at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/

more/weeds/taking_action.html.
This publication was produced by the BLM Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships. Production 

services were provided by the BLM’s National Operations Center, Information and Publishing Services Section.

Additional copies may be obtained by contacting:

BLM Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships

1849 C Street, NW, LM2134

Washington, DC 20240

(202) 912-7457

Visit www.blm.gov/education to explore BLM resources for educators.

March 2015

BLM/WO/GI-15/009+1115