Seed Collections for Research

This Information Bulletin (IB) summarizes Nevada State Office direction regarding issuance of research permits to collect seed, tissue samples, and herbarium vouchers from plants on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. The objective of this IB is to provide consistency across Districts and outline a process for researchers to follow when seeking authorizations to collect seed from BLM managed lands.

District Forestry Program Leads should encourage researchers to initiate authorizations at least 30 days prior to collection and inform researchers that they must carry an authorization with them while they are collecting. Potential consequences for not having an authorization available for BLM law enforcement officers include a citation, fines, and confiscation of collected seed. Research authorizations for cacti, yucca, succulents, BLM special status, state listed, and Federally listed Threatened or Endangered plant species may require additional information not included in this IB.

Authorizations will be issued out of each District by the Forestry Program Lead for native seed and other plant material collections. If applicants intend to make collections in multiple BLM districts, they will need to initiate an application in each district. This approach will ensure coordination between researchers and field personnel who are aware of local conditions as well as hazards that researchers may need to avoid while they are collecting.

Authorizations for research collections will be processed as Free Use Permits. The conditions for issuance of a Free Use permit include: (1) the seed/plant materials collected cannot be sold or used for commercial purposes, and (2) the seed/plant materials collected must have a combined dollar value of less than $100 dollars. If these two conditions cannot be met, the applicant must apply for a commercial or personal use collection permit. We anticipate most research collections will be under the $100 dollar threshold. District Forestry Program Leads will require applicants to submit the following information in writing:

1. Location of collection - provide the Township, Range and Section (TRS) where each collection is anticipated. Final location needs to be determined prior to the issuance of each permit. If necessary, there are online tools that can convert latitude and longitude locations into TRS.
2. The species and amounts of each that will be collected - estimate the species and field collection (unclean) pounds of seed that is needed. Please include any contingency species in the initial request, but prior to the issuance of each permit, a final pounds by species is required for tracking purposes. Attachment 1 provides an estimate of the yield from unclean seed collections to final net seed amounts and can be used as a reference in estimating the unclean amounts desired through the research collection.
3. Contact information of all personnel involved in the collection - provide names, email, and phone numbers, as well as a mailing address for the final permit.

Questions should be directed to Coreen Francis, Forestry Lead, at (916) 261-6995 or cfranci@blm.gov.