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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of a draft compatibility determination for public review and comment, proposing both non-commercial and commercial plant gathering on Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Public comments on the draft will be accepted for 15 days, from July 21, 2025 to August 4, 2025. 

Plant gathering is the collection of plants, plant parts, or plant products. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with other federal agencies and partners to implement the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration to increase the supply of locally adapted native plant species needed to restore healthy, resilient, and adaptive ecosystems. Seeds may be collected from Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge for non-commercial or commercial uses, including long-term storage, research, development, production to increase seed supply, and ecological restoration activities. Native seed collections, including efforts at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, would contribute to native plant materials development and would help to ensure successful restoration of working landscapes and wildlife habitat after natural disasters and other damage.