Please Help Advocate to Fund

NYS's Native Plant and Seed Supply Program

Contact your NYS Senator and Assembly Member

New York State recently enacted laws calling for:

• the banking of native plant seeds (Chapter 89 of 2025);  and
• the creation of a NYS native plant “grown and certified” program (see A7964 of 2025 and chapter amendment A9478 of 2026)

Every robust industry has a well-oiled supply chain at its core. Yet, however, NYS has no coordinated supply chain for native plant materials.

A functional supply chain depends on seed collected responsibly from wild populations, the essential natural resource that is the basis for all commercial production. Many native plant populations are rapidly disappearing across our state due to habitat loss, development pressure, invasive species, and climate change. Without immediate investment in systematic, science-based seed collection, banking, and production infrastructure, we risk losing both the genetic diversity and ecological resilience that native plants provide.

The Mid Atlantic Regional Seed Bank (MARSB) has taken the lead to provide many essential supply services. In 2024 and 2025 MARSB collected, cleaned, and banked over 200 collections of wild NYS native seed. MARSB has supplied that seed to several start-up native plant nurseries in the state and to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for use at Montezuma NWR. These activities are helping to launch new markets, contributing to the long-term supply chain development, and to the health of NYS agriculture.

Federal funds that supported MARSB’s supply chain work are no longer available.  Without support MARSB cannot continue these NYS activities.

To fill the funding gap, Representative Anna Kelles proposed $385,000 to support continuation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Seed Bank’s work to advance New York State’s Native Plant and Seed Supply Program (AM Kelles’ support letter to the Honorable Carl Heastie and the Honorable J. Gary Pretlow).

By investing in MARSB’s NYS program, the State will launch the foundational components of a native seed supply chain envisioned through its legislative actions. This investment will ensure that ecologically appropriate plant material is available for restoration projects, municipal landscaping, climate resilience initiatives, water quality programs, and biodiversity efforts.

Developing this supply chain will:

• Protect New York’s native plant biodiversity
• Strengthen climate resilience through sound ecological restoration
• Support pollinators and wildlife habitat
• Create economic opportunities in seed collection and native plant production
• Reduce long-term restoration costs by expanding in-state supply

New York cannot meet its environmental and climate goals without a reliable, locally adapted native plant supply. This funding is a strategic and forward-looking investment in the ecological health and economic vitality of our state.

We respectfully ask that you help us advocate for this critical funding.  Here’s what to do:

Reach out to your NYS legislators

Find your NYS Assembly Member  and NYS Senator.

1. Write to your NYS assembly member and senator to express your support for this critical appropriation, attach AM Kelles’ Budget Sign On Letter
2.  Ask your NYS assembly member and senator to, in turn, contact the six key members of the Assembly and Senate  (see list below) .  These elected officials will play a large role in determining the final state budget this year.  The letter should include:
• support for AM Kelles’ Budget Sign On Letter requesting $385,000 for MARSB, Inc’s New York State’s Native Plant and Seed Supply Program
• attached AM Kelles’ Budget Sign On Letter

The 6 key members are:

1. Honorable Donna Lupardo, NYS Assembly Chair, Agriculture Committee. lupardod@nyassembly.gov
2. Honorable Deborah Glick, NYS Assembly Chair, Environmental Conservation Committee 212-674-5153
3. Honorable Michelle Hinchey, NYS Senate Chair, Agriculture Committee hinchey@nysenate.gov
4. Honorable Pete Harckham, NYS Senate Chair, Environmental Conservation Committee harckham@nysenate.gov
5. Honorable Carl Heastie, Speaker, NYS Assembly Speaker@nyassembly.gov
6. Honorable J. Gary Pretlow, NYS Assembly Chair, Ways and Means Committee pretlowg@nyassembly.gov

Investing in native plant and seed infrastructure today will ensure a resilient and biodiverse New York for generations to come.

This request is time sensitive  NYS budgets are currently in negotiation.

Please use any and all parts of this letter for yours.  And, please share widely with your networks.