After Nevada enacted a mining reclamation law in
1989, a 10-year-old native seed company began to
blossom.
Comstock Seed, based in Reno, Nev.,
found requests poured in for seeds for native shrubs, wildflowers
and wild grass as mining reclamation work became “our biggest and
most booming market,” says owner Ed Kleiner
Jr.
To meet the growing demand, Comstock Seed
constantly combs the land for seeds from plants such as
monkeyflower, blanketflower and poppies.
The
average annual haul – 30,000 to 50,000 pounds of seed – is
hand-gathered from Mexico to Canada by Kleiner and his crews. The
best pickers, says Kleiner, are 40- to 50-year-old women. “They are
patient and thorough, and come out with much more than the speedy
young guys.”
Reclamation under the new law means
that companies must save topsoil, control erosion, isolate and
remove toxic materials, recontour and revegetate disturbed areas,
and rehabilitate habitat for fish and wildlife. It also requires
new operations larger than five acres to pay a bond before
beginning work. The company gets its bond money only after state
inspectors say reclamation at the mining site is
satisfactory.
BLM’s Deputy State Director for
Minerals, Tom Leshendok, says federal and state agencies are
increasingly moving toward reseeding with natural and native
vegetation.
For more information, contact
Comstock Seed, 8520 W. 4th St., Reno, NV 89523
(702/746-3681).
* Kelly
Clark
Kelly Clark writes in
Carson City, Nevada.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline A seed business blooms in Nevada.
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