Oct. 1 wildlife forage seed giveaway in Central Point, Grants Pass, Gold Beach

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is giving away free wildlife forage seed to landowners in Central Point, Grants Pass, and Gold Beach on Wed., Oct. 1. Landowners are eligible for two 15-pound bags of seed to cover at least one acre of habitat for wildlife.

Seed bags are available first-come, first serve and are often gone before the end of the day. Bags can be picked up beginning at 7 a.m. at:

• Central Point: Denman Wildlife Area ODFW Office, 1495 East Gregory Rd.
• Grants Pass: Rogue Valley Secure Storage, 3591 Highland Ave.
• Gold Beach: ODFW Gold Beach Field Office, 29907 Airport Dr.

The seed is free to landowners because of generous donations from the Rogue Valley, Curry, and Josephine chapters of the Oregon Hunters Association, matched with federal funds granted to ODFW through the Pittman-Robertson Act's Wildlife Restoration Program.

The forage mix is not suitable for healthy habitats such as woodlands and grasslands dominated by native species and should not be planted on public lands; these areas already provide suitable forage for wildlife.

The mix is a blend of species that attract watchable wildlife, game birds, and mammals. It includes non-native grasses and herbaceous species that provide critical food sources for animals during fall, winter, and early spring in places where native forage is lacking or has deteriorated.

These seeds can grow without irrigation and should be planted soon so they are ready to sprout with fall rains. Some seeds need to overwinter and will sprout in the spring.

The pasture-adapted forage species can help out-compete invasive non-native plants such as yellow star-thistle which provides very little forage value for wildlife. Understory plants also help stabilize soils and provide ground cover to control dust and reduce erosion.

New this year is also a small giveaway of a native wildflower seed mixture. Seeds in this mixture were sourced from the interior Rogue Valley by the Rogue Native Plant Partnership and will benefit native pollinators and birds. Instructions for suitable locations and how to sow seeds will also be available.

Productive wildlife habitat on private lands is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to ODFW's mission of protecting and enhancing Oregon's native wildlife populations.