Bozeman, Mont. -- Bitterroot Restoration of Corvallis, Mont., recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture¹s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for ecological restoration research. This cooperative research agreement, which was brokered by the MSU TechLink Center in Bozeman, enables Bitterroot Restoration and the ARS to jointly develop and commercialize new technologies for restoring native plants to damaged sites, such as areas devastated by forest fire.

Under the agreement, Bitterroot Restoration and the ARS will leverage each other¹s experience and expertise to jointly develop improved techniques for native plant restoration. Specifically, they will explore ways to lower the costs of revegetating areas that have been denuded of vegetation by wildfires or strip mining.

The use of innovative, biodegradable plant growth tubes that have been developed by the ARS is a specific focus of the joint research. These tubes contain young plants in the greenhouse and during shipping, allow them to be efficiently planted, then protect them against weather and animal damage while they become established.

"In collaboration with ARS, we intend to increase restoration success while reducing costs for clients," said Tim Meikle, Director of Research & Development for Bitterroot Restoration.

Bitterroot Restoration is one of the leading environmental restoration companies in the western United States. It has built a thriving business around providing cost-effective ways to restore native plants to large, disturbed sites. ARS¹s mission includes developing practical, low-cost ways to restore healthy vegetation to forests and grasslands under federal control.

The ARS unit involved is the High Plains Grasslands Research Station in Cheyenne, Wyo., which has conducted pioneering research on ways to successfully revegetate western rangelands that have been disturbed by mining impacts.

This is the first agreement that MSU TechLink has established between a Montana company and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. TechLink is funded by the U.S. government to link companies in Montana and the surrounding region with federal research centers for joint research and technology transfer. Its overriding purpose is to contribute to the success of businesses in the state and region through developing mutually beneficial partnerships with federal agencies.

Contacts:
Dr. Will Swearingen
MSU TechLink
(406) 994-7704
wds@montana.edu

Tim Meikle
Bitterroot Restoration
(406) 961-4991
timm@bitterrootrestoration.com

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