>> FUN HELPING HEREIN CHARRED BY WATER FIRES HIS NATIVE STATES PACK A MIGHTY PUNCH TO THEIR SMALL SIZE.

BUT A RECENT REPORT FOUND ECO-RESTORATION PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FACING A NATIVE SEED SHORTAGE.

THANKFULLY, EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A MORE SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY ARE NOW UNDERWAY, WITH HELP FROM THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN.

THE NEWS REPORTER PATTY WHITLEY JOINED US NOW TO EXPLAIN.

EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT AND WHY THEY'RE IN SHORT SUPPLY.

>> WELL, THEY'RE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ANY RESTORATION, WHETHER IT'S MIDWEST PRAIRIE OR WETLAND IN THE SOUTHEAST.

THESE ARE THE PLANTS THAT EVOLVE AND ADAPTED FOR THAT SPECIFIC ECOSYSTEM.

SO THESE ARE THE ONES THAT SUPPORT THE WILDLIFE THAT GO WITH THAT ECOSYSTEM.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE PERFECT FOR THE SOIL AND ALL THOSE THINGS.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT CONE FLOWERS AND TALL GRASSES IN THE PRAIRIE, THOSE ARE THE PLANS THAT WERE, HISTORICALLY, THERE.

SO WHEN YOU'RE DOING ANY RESTORATION, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO RE-CREATE.

THE ISSUE IS ONE OF CAPACITY.

THERE IS A VERY SMALL POOL OF SUPPLIERS AND GROWERS OF NATIVE SEEDS.

THEY'RE TRICKY TO GROW.

IT CAN TAKE TIME TO GROW THEM.

AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SEASON WHERE 10,000, NOT 10,000, 10 MILLION ACRES BURN IN WILDFIRES, AND YOU WANT TO RECEDE THAT, THERE'S JUST A SUPPLY FOR THAT.

>> AND CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, THEY'RE GETTING INVOLVED HERE.

>> YES.

THE ONE OF THEIR RESEARCHERS WAS PART OF THE COMMITTEE THAT CREATED THIS NEW REPORT.

THEY PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM CALLED SEEDS OF SUCCESS, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY GO TO DIFFERENT NATURAL AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND COLLECT SEED , BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY COLLECTING SEEDS, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH.

THEY NEED TO FIND A WAY TO, LIKE, RAMP UP THE COMMERCIAL KIND OF INDUSTRIAL SIDE OF IT, SO THEY NEED SOMETHING LIKE WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF AG DOES, FOR AGRICULTURAL SEEDS, WHICH IS TO CREATE RESEARCH CENTERS .

SO THAT FOR SOME OF THESE REALLY IMPORTANT NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE SUPER HARD FOR GROWERS TO GROW FROM SEED , YOU KNOW, THEY DEVELOP THE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES TO HELP THEM ALONG.

THEY WOULD DO THINGS LIKE HAVE LAND MANAGERS COMMIT TO , WE WILL RESTORE X AMOUNT OF ACRES EVERY YEAR, SO THAT GROWERS WHO ARE INVESTING IN THESE LONG-TERM SEED BANKS, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, DEMAND FOR WHAT THEY'RE PRODUCING.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY BEEN A SUPPLY AND DEMAND CONUNDRUM, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SOLVE THAT.