Palouse Prairie Foundation
The Palouse Prairie Foundation promotes preservation and restoration of native Palouse prairie ecosystems in Latah and Whitman Counties. The Foundation promotes public awareness of the prairie, serves as a literature resource, encourages responsible local seed production, and acts as a consultant in Palouse prairie restoration efforts.
The Palouse region
The region of southeastern Washington and adjacent Idaho that has rolling hills on deep soils is known as the Palouse. On its eastern border, this region is bounded by the forests of northern Idaho, and the Snake River forms its southern boundary. To the north and west, the Palouse is bounded by areas of flat terrain and shallow soils, places where the deep soils were scoured away by ice or water during past glaciations or floods. Some scientists use a more inclusive definition of the Palouse; they consider areas to the west and south and even parts of northwestern Montana to be part of the Palouse.
An Endangered Ecosystem
Less than 1% of Palouse Prairie remains today. By 1900, 90% had already been converted to agriculture! The Palouse is home to some of the most productive agricultural land in the world, but in the interest of biodiversity and soil conservation, we must conserve the remnants and re-establish ecologically viable prairie patches. Currently, restoration techniques are being developed and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is helping restore retired agricultural fields back to prairie through conservation programs. If you are interested in restoring native Palouse Prairie vegetation on your land, you have a fascinating challenge in store. Regardless of whether you have a small yard or acres of land, growing native Palouse Prairie plants can be very rewarding. For more information, contact the Palouse Prairie Foundation.
P.O. Box 8952
Moscow, ID 83843
www.palouseprairie.org
