ODFW Offers Free Wildlife Forage Seed to Southwest Oregon Landowners
The Sept. 24 giveaway will offer seed in Central Point, Grants Pass, and Gold Beach while supplies last.
AT A GLANCE
When: Sept. 24 beginning at 7 a.m.
Who: Southwest Oregon landowners.
Amount: Up to two 15-pound bags per landowner, enough for at least one acre.
Where: Central Point, Grants Pass, and Gold Beach.
Availability: First-come, first served while supplies last.
Use: Intended for private land where native forage is lacking or deteriorated; not for healthy native habitat or public lands.
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — Southwest Oregon landowners looking to improve wildlife habitat on their property can pick up free forage seed later this month through an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife giveaway.
ODFW will distribute the seed beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at locations in Central Point, Grants Pass, and Gold Beach.
Each participating landowner can receive up to two 15-pound bags — enough seed to cover at least one acre of habitat.
There is one catch: supplies tend to disappear quickly.
ODFW says the bags will be handed out first-come, first served and are often gone before the end of the day. The Denman Wildlife Area will have the largest supply, while the Grants Pass and Gold Beach locations are expected to have enough seed for at least 40 landowners each.
Seed designed to help wildlife
The forage blend includes native and non-native grasses and herbaceous plants intended to provide food for game birds, mammals, and other wildlife during fall, winter, and early spring.
ODFW says the mix is best suited for areas where native forage is lacking or has deteriorated.
It should not be planted in healthy woodlands or grasslands already dominated by native species, and the giveaway is not intended for planting on public lands.
The pasture-adapted plants can also help compete with invasive species such as yellow star-thistle while adding ground cover that can reduce erosion and dust.
A smaller quantity of native grass and wildflower seed will also be available. Those seeds were sourced from the interior Rogue Valley and are intended to benefit native pollinators and birds.
Wildlife Forage: A deer feeds in a grassy meadow. ODFW says its free forage seed mix is intended to improve food sources for wildlife on private lands where native forage is lacking or has deteriorated. Brian Gailey / Jefferson Daily News.
Plant ahead of the fall rains
The seed does not require irrigation, but ODFW recommends planting soon after pickup so it is in place when fall rains arrive.
Some species will begin growing with autumn moisture, while others need to overwinter before sprouting in spring.
Instructions covering where and how to plant the seed will be available during the giveaway.
ODFW says improving habitat on private property is an important part of maintaining wildlife forage across the region, particularly where natural food sources have declined.
The giveaway is funded through donations from Rogue Valley, Curry, Josephine, and statewide chapters of the Oregon Hunters Association, matched with federal Wildlife Restoration Program funding through the Pittman-Robertson Act.
Pickup locations
Seed distribution begins at 7 a.m. Sept. 24 at:
Central Point
Denman Wildlife Area ODFW Office
1495 East Gregory Road
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