Help Shape UNPP’s 2026 Meeting Schedule: Partner Availability Survey Now Open

As we move into 2026, the Umpqua Native Plant Partnership (UNPP) enters the fourth year of implementing our 2023–2028 Strategic Plan—a roadmap guiding our efforts to strengthen the Umpqua Basin’s native plant materials and restoration ecosystem. Since 2022, UNPP has focused on building meaningful collaboration among partners, producers, and practitioners to restore culturally and ecologically significant landscapes, expand access to native plant materials, and support the projects that rely on them most.

This year, our focus is on partnership sustainability—ensuring that the UNPP network, shared resources, and coordination systems are strong, resilient, and ready to support restoration needs well into the future. We are investing strategically in people and infrastructure to strengthen our Native Plant Materials (NPM) program and support restoration across diverse habitats in the Umpqua Basin, grounded in reciprocity. By aligning efforts across projects, sharing knowledge, and refining best practices, we are building a durable foundation that allows the partnership to thrive and adapt to evolving regional needs.

2026 Partner Availability Survey

To support this work, UNPP is launching our 2026 Meeting Availability Survey. This short survey will help us schedule our annual partnership meeting and focal group discussions at times that work best for our network.

Responses will guide the development of Doodle polls and final meeting dates for:

• All-Partners Annual Meetings (Survey)

• Oak-Associated Grasslands & Systems Focal Group Meetings (Survey)

• Wetland/Riparian & Post-Fire Focal Group Meetings (Survey)

• Grower Discussions and Planning Sessions (Survey)

Meetings are expected to begin in April 2026 and will include a mix of virtual and in-person gatherings.

We ask that partners complete the survey by February 16, 2026, to ensure your availability is reflected in our planning.

Focal Group and Partnership Meetings in 2026

UNPP’s focal group and partnership meetings provide a dedicated space for collaboration, coordination, and shared learning.

Partnership Meetings

Spring and fall partnership meetings address governance, funding, strategic planning, and native plant material development. All MOU signatories and active and prospective partners are encouraged to participate.

Your input helps ensure these gatherings are accessible, productive, and responsive to partner needs.

Focal Group Meetings

Focal group meetings bring together partners working on similar landscapes, restoration approaches, and production needs. These sessions focus on practical project coordination, aligning native plant materials with restoration goals, sharing knowledge and resources, and supporting growers and practitioners through collaborative planning. Together, these meetings help strengthen restoration outcomes, improve seed and plug supply, and advance coordinated, watershed-scale, and habitat-specific work across the partnership.

Planning Ahead: Seed and Plug Orders

As part of our long-term coordination efforts, we also encourage partners to begin planning for 2027–2028 seed and plug orders. Early communication helps facilitate and align production capacity with grower capacity and restoration demand, which supports more efficient use of resources across the network.

Please use the Google Form to support timely seed and plug reservation and planning.

Why Your Participation Matters

UNPP’s strength comes from the collective expertise, experience, and commitment of its partners. By sharing your availability and participating in meetings, you help:

• Improve coordination across projects and regions

• Strengthen the regional native seed supply network

• Support grower viability and production planning

• Enhance restoration outcomes

• Build long-term partnership capacity

Your engagement directly contributes to a more resilient and responsive native plant materials system in the Umpqua Basin.

Take Action

Please take a few minutes to complete the 2026 Meeting Availability Survey by February 16, 2026. Your input will help shape UNPP’s coordination and collaboration efforts in the year ahead.

If you have questions, please contact: morgan@understoryinitiative.org

We look forward to working together in 2026 and continuing to strengthen our shared commitment to native plant materials, restoration, and partnership-based conservation.