Announcing EcoRestore Montana: A Native Plant Restoration Portal for the Treasure State
The Faist Lab at the University of Montana and the Montana Climate Office (MCO) are excited to announce the launch of EcoRestore Montana — a new web-based portal supporting native plant restoration for ecological resilience across Montana. Developed in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management — Montana/Dakotas, the site brings science-based guidance and an interactive plant database to practitioners, land managers, landowners, and native plant enthusiasts across Big Sky Country.
Open the EcoRestore Montana tool in a new tab ↗
What’s in the portal
EcoRestore Montana is built around three core resources.
The EcoRestoreMT Tool is a searchable, filterable database of more than 225 Montana native plant species. Users can filter by habitat, soil type, restoration goal, lifecycle, and more; narrow results with an elevation range slider; export a selection to CSV; or share a bookmarked view of a search as a short link or QR code. The database is grounded in primary data from the USDA PLANTS Database, USDA NRCS Plant Characteristics, the Montana Natural Heritage Program, and peer-reviewed restoration literature.
Restoration Goals offers guidance for 12 Montana-specific restoration objectives — from riparian recovery and pollinator habitat to weed exclusion, fire resistance, water-wise plantings, erosion control, forage production, and cultural plant values. Each goal links directly to a filtered set of suitable plants in the EcoRestoreMT Tool.
Resources is a curated library of trusted material on site preparation, seeding methods, post-planting management, Montana restoration organizations, and practitioner tools.
Part of a regional network
EcoRestore Montana joins the EcoRestore Portal network — a collaborative community of state-based restoration resources developed at universities across the American West. Coordinated by the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment, the network already includes state sites for Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California. Montana is the network’s newest member, joining in 2026.
Project team and partners
Scientific development is led by the Faist Lab at the University of Montana’s W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. The Faist Lab studies rangeland restoration ecology, invasive species, and native plant communities across the Northern Rockies and Great Plains.
Site design and hosting is provided by the Montana Climate Office at the University of Montana.
The Bureau of Land Management — Montana/Dakotas — which manages approximately 8 million acres of public land in Montana — is the project’s key funding partner, supporting native plant restoration through seed collection, plant materials development, and habitat enhancement programs.
The EcoRestore Portal, coordinated by the University of Arizona, provides the shared framework connecting state-based restoration resources across the West.
“We are excited to be able to join such an exciting and emerging network that has broad applicability for multiple types of restoration projects.”
— Akasha Faist, Associate Professor of Rangeland and Restoration Ecology, University of Montana
Getting started
EcoRestore Montana is freely available — no account or login needed. Head to ecorestore.umt.edu to launch the tool, explore restoration goals, or browse the resource library. Inquiries about site content, the plant database, or partnership opportunities should be directed to the Faist Lab.
Project contacts
Akasha Faist, Associate Professor, Rangeland and Restoration Ecology, University of Montana — akasha.faist@umontana.edu, (406) 243-2596
Kyle Bocinsky, Director of Climate Extension, Montana Climate Office, University of Montana — kyle.bocinsky@umontana.edu, (406) 243-6717
The Montana Climate Office provides high-quality, timely, relevant, and scientifically based climate, drought, and water resources information and services to Montanans. As Montana’s official climate data stewards, the MCO develops products tailored to specific sectors and geographies and helps stakeholders adapt them to their needs. The MCO is part of the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana.