I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1548 
To establish a pilot program for native plant species, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2021 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. HILL, Ms. HOULAHAN, 
Mr. CASE, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish a pilot program for native plant species, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Native Plant Species 
Pilot Program Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States has a significant interest 
in— 
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(A) preserving the worldwide system of 
richly varied habitats; 
(B) protecting native plant biodiversity and 
the ecosystems that support that biodiversity; 
and 
(C) protecting the quality of life of people 
in the United States; 
(2) native plants are an inseparable part of the 
natural beauty of the landscape of the United 
States, which must be preserved; 
(3) the extensive root systems of native plants 
control erosion, moderate floods, filter water to im-
prove water quality, decrease the amount of water 
needed for landscape maintenance, and sequester 
carbon to combat climate change; 
(4) native plants provide food and habitat for 
pollinators and wildlife; 
(5) native plants supply an important genetic 
record for future food, agriculture, and plant-derived 
products; 
(6) native plant communities are important 
components of cultural landscapes; 
(7) the use of native plant materials for res-
toration or enhancement contributes to the preserva-
tion of cultural landscapes; 
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(8) the use of native plant species in revegeta-
tion efforts after construction activities and adjacent 
to roadways increases habitat for a variety of polli-
nators and other native animal species; 
(9) supporting native plant communities within 
or adjacent to agricultural areas provides important 
wildlife habitat that would not otherwise be avail-
able; 
(10) the use of native plants in landscaping can 
reduce the need for herbicides and water use; and 
(11) of the 20,000 known native plant species 
in North America, it has been estimated that nearly 
25 to 30 percent are at risk of extinction as a result 
of factors such as habitat loss, invasive species, tem-
perature shifts, and pesticide use. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONTROL.—The term ‘‘control’’ means, 
with respect to invasive species, containing, sup-
pressing, or reducing populations of invasive species. 
(2) ERADICATE.—The term ‘‘eradicate’’ means, 
with respect to invasive species, removing or destroy-
ing an entire population of invasive species. 
(3) INVASIVE
SPECIES.—The term ‘‘invasive 
species’’ means, with respect to a particular eco-
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system, a nonnative organism, the introduction of 
which causes or is likely to cause economic or envi-
ronmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant 
health. 
(4) LOCALLY
ADAPTED.—The term ‘‘locally 
adapted’’ means, with respect to plants, plants 
that— 
(A) originate from an area that is geo-
graphically proximate to a planting area; and 
(B) are environmentally adapted to and 
likely to become established and persist in that 
planting area. 
(5) NATIONAL
PARK
SERVICE
REGION.—The 
term ‘‘National Park Service region’’ means each of 
the following unified Interior regions designated by 
the Secretary of the Interior: 
(A) Alaska. 
(B) Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf. 
(C) Columbia-Pacific Northwest. 
(D) California-Great Basin. 
(E) Great Lakes. 
(F) Lower Colorado-Basin. 
(G) Mississippi-Basin. 
(H) Missouri-Basin. 
(I) North Atlantic-Appalachian. 
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