Reno Fish and Wildlife Office

Native seed collection and capacity

Native plant communities support healthy fish and wildlife populations, and that is why we believe in using the right seed, in the right place, at the right time. Our office participates in the Seeds of Success program - a national native seed collection program that works to improve access to native seed. Seeds of Success is led by Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with other organizations. In 2018, the Reno office hired its first Seeds of Success interns, who collected the second highest number of wild, native seeds when compared to all other teams across the nation. The mission of Seeds of Success is to collect wildland native seed for research, development, germplasm conservation, and ecosystem restoration, and to support BLM's Native Plant Materials Development Program, which increases the quality and quantity of native plant materials available for restoring and supporting local ecosystems. A portion of each collection goes into long-term conservation storage, with the remainder available for research and restoration. Healthy ecosystems composed of native plants provide the essential ecological services upon which all life depends, including our own.

Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery 

While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for administering the ESA, many state, federal, local, non-governmental organizations and other collaborative entities are involved in the conservation of Lahontan cutthroat trout. In order to promote and support the conservation and survival of endangered species and threatened species, and provide a transparent path to achieving recovery, the Service, with our partners, develops and implements recovery plans. Recovery plans guide management actions to support the downlisting or eventual delisting of species protected under the ESA. Each recovery plan has a set of goals and objectives that guide recovery for a listed species, like a roadmap.

In 2019, Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery partners worked collaboratively to update the goals and objectives within the Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery plan to guide conservation of Lahontan cutthroat trout using the best available science. The updated recovery plan is reflective of our current understanding of Lahontan cutthroat trout, habitat requirements and threats. Since they are not prescriptive, the Updated Goals and Objectives provide flexibility and encourage collaboration with stakeholders so that together, we can identify recovery actions and where and how to meet the objectives for Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery in each management unit. By working with the people who live and work within these ten management units, we can collectively identify the best places to focus recovery of this species.

Resilient Lahontan cutthroat trout populations are a by-product of healthy, functioning riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian habitats. Healthy waters with Lahontan cutthroat trout provide significantly more resources to our communities, including increased water quality and quantity, forage for wildlife and livestock, drought-resiliency, and angling opportunities, as well as potential fire-breaks.

To recover Lahontan cutthroat trout across its historical habitat, we must meaningfully manage its greatest threats: non-native trout and habitat loss and degradation. We cannot recover the Lahontan cutthroat trout alone. We invite all stakeholder groups, including local communities, ranchers, anglers, and recreationalists, to be part of Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery actions. For more information about the collaborative effort to recover Lahontan cutthroat trout, please visit lctrecovery.org.