{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-quigley-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-create-national-seed-and-restoration-center-conserve-and-restore-native-plant-species-across-us", "Hirono, Quigley Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Create National Seed and Restoration Center, Conserve and Restore Native Plant Species Across U.S.", "2024-06-07", "2024", "2024-06", "Democrat", "Senate", "HI", "Mazie K. Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", "hirono", "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced the National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center Establishment Act, legislation that would create and fund a National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to promote the conservation and restoration of native plant communities across the U.S.\n\n\u201cIn Hawaii, native plants are not just significant to our state\u2019s history and culture, they also provide restorative benefits to our local ecosystems and habitats,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cNative plants also play a crucial role in strengthening the landscape resilience and biodiversity in every region of our country. I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation to help combat harmful invasive species, and protect and restore native plant communities across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs our earth braces for more climate disasters, native plants are the key to protecting our landscapes and the precious ecosystems within them. Not only are native plants more resilient to climate change, they are actively removing carbon dioxide from our air, protecting us in the process,\u201d said Quigley. \u201cThis bill ensures we can research the most effective methods for native plant restoration. It also invests in our future by building an archive of seeds to guarantee these plants are protected for generations to come. It is clear that if we are to defend our environment from climate change, native plants are at the heart of this mission.\u201d\n\nNative plant communities across the country are at-risk or going extinct as a result of invasive species and climate change-related impacts, including extreme weather events such as wildfires. In order to conserve and restore these native plant communities, a robust native seed and plant material supply chain is necessary. The National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center Establishment Act would codify the establishment of a National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center, as well as ecoregional hubs representing all states\u2019 and territories\u2019 local needs, and authorize funding in support of the Center ($100 million per fiscal year over five years).\n\nA National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center would serve as the scientific, logistical, and support hub for the country\u2019s restoration and seed needs and would support interagency native plant programs. Specifically, the Center would:\n\nResearch the development and use of native plants, restoration of native plant communities, and propagate/store native plants;\n\nProvide native plant materials to land managers;\n\nCreate resilient native plant communities;\n\nEnhance interagency coordination; and\n\nCoordinate shared use/enhancement of infrastructure for native plant material development.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by Chicago Botanic Garden; Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility; California Native Seed Supply Collaborative; National Wildlife Federation; Defenders of Wildlife; Western Watersheds Project; Institute for Applied Ecology; Native Seed Network; and Garden Club of America.\n\n\u201cThe Garden Club of America, with its long history of working to restore, improve, and protect our environment, highly commends Senator Hirono and Representative Quigley for their vision and leadership in championing legislation to advance native plants and combat invasive species,\u201d said Marilyn Donahue, The President of the Garden Club of America. \u201cNative plants are the backbone of biodiversity, on which our life on this planet depends. This forward-looking legislation not only supports biodiversity but also assures a coordinated federal approach to providing managers with the science, funding, and adaptable, resilient native plant materials that will aid in the preservation of existing ecosystems and also assure the restoration of landscapes decimated by natural disasters.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis bill addresses the urgent need to ensure a national supply of native seeds is available for restoration of public lands after fires and other disasters,\u201d said Jean M. Franczyk, executive director and president, Chicago Botanic Garden. \u201cCoordination among multiple stakeholders and research is needed to better restore our public lands. This is game changing legislation, and the time is now to establish a National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center and regional hubs.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-quigley-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-create-national-seed-and-restoration-center-conserve-and-restore-native-plant-species-across-us"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1634058319032192, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}