Genetic Conservation

Exotic diseases (sudden oak death, white pine blister rust and chestnut blight), insects (emerald ash borer and wooly adelgid), invasive weeds (cheat grass), fires and changing land use patterns threaten the existence of many native US trees and other native plants in the wild. Some native grasses, forbs and tree species are undergoing domestication in advanced breeding programs and commercial seed production. These events mandate that the US adopt a gene conservation program to preserve wild sources of all plant germplasm. Long term seed storage will be an important part of this preservation program. In cooperation with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation (NCGRP), the FSNSL provides long term seed storage for gene conservation. Seeds are received at the NSL for germination tests and then packaged and transferred to the NCGRP for long term storage in disaster proof freezer vaults. These seeds can then be used for future restoration of plant populations lost in the wild due to various disturbances. All entries into the NCGRP storage will be traceable on the ARS Genetic Resource Information Network (GRIN) data base system over the internet.

The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) provides continuous access to databases for the maintenance of passport, characterization, evaluation, inventory, and distribution data important for the effective management and utilization of national germplasm collections. There are more than 500,000 accessions in the GRIN database representing more than 10,000 species of plants. You can view the Forest Service accessions here: enter FSNS in the text block and check the block for historical and unavailable accessions.

Species groups currenlty being collected

Ash

Five Needle Pines

G1 & G2 plants   / G1 & G2 Seed Collection Form

OECD Forest Reproductive Materials Scheme

The OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material aims to encourage the production and use of forest tree seeds or plants that have been collected, processed, raised, labelled and distributed in a manner that ensures their trueness to name. This "CERTIFIED" material is intended for use in a variety of forestry functions: timber production, soil protection, environmental criteria, etc. more OECD

Section 1.Title Page

Section 2.Table of Contents

Section 3.Introduction

Section 4.USDA Forest Service Procedures for Operating the OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade

Section 5.Memorandum of Understanding WCIA

Section 6.Oregon and Washington Tree Seed Zones

Section 7.Oregon and Washington Tree Seed Zone Maps

Section 8.Explanations for the List of Selected Stands and the Map of Selected Stands

Section 9. National Register
Douglas Fir
Select Stands
Qualified Seed Orchards

Grand Fir
Select Stands

Western Hemlock
Qualified Seed Orchards

Disclaimers Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)