Q1a | This information is used to help us analyze the data. Under no circumstances would you or your organization be singled out in any summary of the survey results. Our findings will be aggregated so that individuals and their organizations remain anonymous. Organization name: _______________ |
Q1b | Department, branch office, or other sub-unit name, if applicable: ____________ |
Q2 | Please select from the list of states below to indicate where your office is located. |
Q3 | Please select the option that best describes your organization’s structure. business/non-profit/federal/state/county/municipal/working group/other |
Q4 | Please select the term that best describes the scale at which your organization operates. local/regional/statewide/multi-state/nationwide |
Q5 | Please click on the map below to select the EPA Level III Ecoregion(s) served by your organization. |
Q6 | Does your organization use native plants or seeds in its projects? both/native plants only/native seeds only/neither |
Q7 | Please select all that apply. For which purposes does your organization use native plant materials? ecological restoration/pollinator support/wildlife habitat/stewardship of lands we own/mitigation or ecosystem restoration/horticultural landscapes/flood management or water resources/green infrastructure/land reclamation/roadside vegetation/post fire or storm rehabilitation/production of plants for sale/other |
Q8a | My agency would be open to changing project specifications to include the use of locally-adapted, native plants and seeds. I agree/I disagree/I don’t know |
Q8b | My office/department is allowed to change project specifications to include the use of locally-adapted, native plants and seeds. I agree/I disagree/I don’t know |
Q8c | Within my job duties, I am empowered to change project specifications to include the use of locally-adapted, native plants and seeds. I agree/I disagree/I don’t know |
Q9a | Does your organization have a definition of “native plant”? yes/no/we refer to another organization’s definition and that organization is ________ /don’t know |
Q9b | Does the native plant definition used by your organization make any reference to ecoregion, seed zone, local provenance, or otherwise specify plants with a local genetic origin? yes/no/don’t know |
Q9c | Please select all that apply. Which concepts are included in your organization’s interpretation of local provenance? EPA Level III ecoregions/EPA Level IV ecoregions/Plant Hardiness Zones/empirical seed transfer zones/50-mile radius/100-mile radius/within the county/within a regional, multi-county area/within the state/other/don’t know |
Q10a | Is your organization subject to a policy that recommends or requires the use of native plants? yes/no/don’t know |
Q10b | Does the policy guiding your organization’s native plant use specifically recommend or require the use of locally-adapted (local ecotype, local provenance, etc.) plant materials? yes/no/don’t know |
Q11 | Please select all that apply. Typically, how does your organization choose the native plant species it uses? commercial availability/lists of locally native plants/reference site information/outside contractors, designers, consultants/other/don’t know |
Q12 | Typically, how far in advance is your organization able to forecast plant material needs? less than 1 year/1–2 years/2–3 years/3 years or longer/don’t know |
Q13 | How do you expect your organization’s demand for native plant materials to change over the next 10 years? increase/decrease/stay the same/don’t know |
Q14 | Which statement best describes your organization’s general preference when using native plants and/or seeds? local ecotype/species/cultivars/no preference/other/don’t know |
Q15 | How useful would your organization find an online listing of commercially-available, ecoregional native plant materials? not useful/slightly useful/moderately useful/quite useful/extremely useful/don’t know |
Q16 | Would your organization be willing to share plant use/plant needs information if it could result in increased commercial availability of locally-adapted native plants and seeds? yes/no/maybe/don’t know/additional comments: __________ |
Q17 | Can you estimate the total amount of plant materials your organization uses in a typical year? yes/after checking our records/no we don’t track this/don’t know |
Q18a | Which choice best describes your general experience with sourcing native plants? The species my organization wants to use are available as plants: never/rarely/sometimes/often/mostly, with a few exceptions/always/don’t know |
Q18b | Which choice best describes your general experience with sourcing native plants? The species my organization wants to use are available as plants in our preferred ecotype: never/rarely/sometimes/often/mostly, with a few exceptions/always/don’t know |
Q19a | Which choice best describes your general experience with sourcing native seeds? The species my organization wants to use are available as seeds: never/rarely/sometimes/often/mostly, with a few exceptions/always/don’t know |
Q19b | Which choice best describes your general experience with sourcing native seeds? The species my organization wants to use are available as seeds in our preferred ecotype: never/rarely/sometimes/often/mostly, with a few exceptions/always/don’t know |
Q20 | Please tell us about any recurring issues you have related to the availability of native plant materials and/or local ecotypes. |
Q21 | In no particular order, please list your organization’s top 5 commercial sources of native seeds. |
Q22 | If there were a cost difference, how much more would your organization be willing to pay for genetically appropriate, local provenance plants and seeds? no more/up to 50% more/up to 100% more/greater than 100% more/other: _____ /don’t know |
Q23a | How limiting are these factors to your organization’s use of local ecotype native plants? cost, lack of commercial availability, lack of seed transfer guidelines, lack of project lead time, lack of policy encouraging or requiring use, lack of organizational preference, lack of organizational awareness of benefits. not limiting/somewhat limiting/limiting/very limiting |
Q23b | Same as Q23a but with respect to seeds |
Q24 | How adequate are the conferences and/or other continuing education opportunities offered through your professional associations with respect to the use of local ecotype native plants and seeds? slider bar ranging from 1 (unhappy) to 5 (happy) |
Q25 | Please select all that apply. What native plant protocols has your organization developed? germination/plant establishment/plant production/seed collection/seed cleaning/seed storage/seed transfer/other: _____ /none of the above/don’t know |
Q26a | Please select all that apply. Does your organization engage in any of the following production-related activities? wild seed collection/native plant production/native seed production/none of the above/comments: _____ |
Q26b | Please select all that apply. Where does your organization collect wild seeds? on our organization’s lands/on private lands not owned by our organization/on public lands not owned by our organization/other: _____ /don’t know |
Q26c | Please select all that apply. Which of the following resources does your organization have? propagation facilities/greenhouses/land for production/irrigation/seed collecting or harvesting machines/seed cleaning equipment/seed storage facilities/other: _____ /none of the above/don’t know |
Q27 | Please select all that apply. Which resources would be helpful to your organization? ecoregional species lists/species fact sheets/propagation protocols/seeding rates/planting densities/plant establishment protocols/seed transfer guidelines/reference site information/information on plant communities and associated species/template garden designs/landscape maintenance tips/other: _____ / none of the above |
Q28 | Please select all that apply. How would you describe your role, in relation to your organization’s use of native plant materials? I select native plant species for projects./ I make purchasing decisions related to our procurement of native plants and/or native seeds./ other: ____ / none of the above |
Q28 | This survey is being disseminated to individuals who work with native plants across all sectors (public, private, non-profit) and at all scales. As such, the questions may not adequately capture your organization’s experiences and concerns in regard to native plant availability and use. Please use this space to share anything else with us that we haven’t asked you about: ______ |