From the Editor

At the beginning of the year, Dr R Kasten Dumroese stepped down after 17 years as founding editor of Native Plants Journal. I would like to recognize Kas and others who with insight and energy brought to fruition the concept of a publication outlet for applied native plant research. The idea emerged in 1998 during discussions between Kas and Dr Tom Landis. Later that year, a larger core of people, including Dr Tom Jones and Scott Lambert, met to develop a publication strategy and to identify 9 contributing editors who would submit or recruit articles for the new journal (contributing editors were eventually reappointed as Associate Editors with only Steve Smith of University of Arizona remaining from the original group). As deadlines for publication of the new journal loomed, Kas took on multiple roles, including editor-in-chief, treasurer, advertisement and subscription salesman, delivery boy, and mail man. He personally contracted with the Washington State University Press to publish the inaugural Spring 2000 issue.

In time for the Fall 2000 issue, the University of Idaho Press adopted the journal and subsumed most business-related tasks. Candace Akins, currently an upstate New York resident and long-time managing editor for NPJ, was then employed at the UI Press, and she edited and proofed content for the journal. UI Press published the journal for the first 5 years but then had to close up shop for a number of reasons. For the subsequent 5 years, the Indiana University Press became home for NPJ. Finally, after a shift in publication priorities at IUP, the journal was transferred to the current publisher, University of Wisconsin Press.

Through these many years, Kas has monitored the publication process, directed the Editorial Board, recruited authors, ensured publication quality, and built a positive reputation for NPJ. People in the native plant arena have benefited both from the opportunity to publish in the journal and from reading current research in published articles. We all owe Kas a debt of gratitude, so please take this opportunity to thank him for his dedication. Kas, I salute you and your colleagues who gave of yourselves to create and maintain a quality publication platform.

Dr Stephen Love, Editor-in-Chief

R Kasten Dumroese, Founding Editor

Stephen Love, Incoming Editor