Bend, OR: Is the restoration of regional ecosystem native plant communities an important specific goal or objective of the Preferred Alternative?
Restoring or maintaining biodiversity and productivity of native plant communities is the specific focus of objective TS-O1 and TS-O4 and standards TS-S1, TS-5, and TS-S6 in Table 3-5. Maintaining or improving habitat for native plant and animal species is a key feature of several other objectives and standards in the Terrestrial Strategies section of Table 3-5. Objective TI-O3 in the Federal Trust Responsibilities and Tribal Rights and Interests section specifically calls for recognition of native plant communities as traditional resources that are important to tribes and as an essential component to treaty-reserved gathering rights, and standard TI-S6 calls for programs for restoration and maintenance of native plant communities. However, particularly on arid rangelands, where establishment of native species is difficult because of the lack of precipitation and the lack of dependable precipitation, we are permitting use of some non-native species, such as crested wheatgrass or interm
