Photo: Noppadol Paothong
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We provide scientific reports, project profiles, technical tools, videos, photos, field guides, and links that tell the story of how cooperative conservation is making a difference for working lands and wildlife across the West.
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NRCS and Partners Work Together to Help Families Keep Their Land Green-Side Up
December 13, 2023
Conservation easements are one of the best tools to keep working lands in working hands. Learn about how partners, like land trusts, work with the NRCS to craft successful ...
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New Science Backs WLFW’s Biome-Wide Conservation Approach
November 6, 2023
Research shows that WLFW's updated approach to conserving intact working landscapes produces better conservation results than focusing on a single ...
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To protect intact grasslands, start with the seed
June 26, 2023
Research highlights the importance of seed sources as a driver of grassland vulnerability to encroachment and how to best prevent manage seeds and seedlings to protect core ...
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How can we balance sage grouse and pinyon jay conservation in sagebrush country?
May 17, 2023
Two recent papers highlight that the majority of conifer removal in sagebrush country has avoided key pinyon jay habitat and further detail how we can balance managing pinyon ...
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Protecting water preserves a lifescape, not just a landscape
February 24, 2023
Longtime practitioners, Carol Evans and Sherman Swanson, share lessons learned on how to conserve and improve essential riparian resources for ranchers and wildlife ...
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New analysis highlights conservation challenges and opportunities on Western public lands
January 31, 2023
Recently published science applies remote-sensing tools to BLM-managed rangelands and provides an unprecedented record of how the vegetation across this enormous area has ...
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Forage Production Lost to Tree Expansion
October 19, 2022
This WLFW-supported research quantifies the economic impacts of lost herbaceous production, one of the many negative effects of woody ...
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Getting Ahead of Large Rangeland Fires in the Great Basin
September 20, 2022
Join Joe Smith and Jeremy Maestas for a discussion about new, annual fire-prediction maps for the Great Basin and what they mean for managing for wildfire in ...
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Dr. Dirac Twidwell: Saving the Last Grasslands
June 27, 2022
WLFW science advisor Dr. Dirac Twidwell discusses how the NRCS and partners are working to save the last grasslands in the U.S. and how new science and technology is informing ...
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Ask an Expert: Early Warning Signals and Grassland Bird Richness
December 29, 2021
Caleb Roberts discusses two recent papers that highlight how the Rangeland Analysis Platform is informing on-the-ground conservation in the Great ...
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The Ascent and Spread of Annual Invasive Grasses in the Great Basin
November 29, 2021
Join Joe Smith as he discusses his new research highlighting how annual invasive grasses are spreading in the Great Basin and what this means for ...
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Ask an Expert | Keeping it Grass: How the NRCS Helps Landowners Maintain Grasslands When CRP Contracts Expire
July 12, 2021
Join Andy Burr, NRCS-Kansas state biologist, to learn how the NRCS can help landowners turn expired CRP lands into grazing lands that maintain wildlife habitat and provide ...
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Ask an Expert | The Green Glacier: What is Conifer Encroachment and Why is it Bad?
June 22, 2021
Learn about the "Green Glacier," the slow-moving expansion of conifer trees across western rangelands, in this Ask an Expert with NRCS's Jeremy ...
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Ask an Expert | Curtis Elke, Idaho-NRCS State Conservationist, Talks Cheatgrass and More
September 1, 2020
The Cheatgrass Challenge is a new, proactive strategy outlining Idaho NRCS’s plans to tackle invasive annual grasses. Read on for ...
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Fire and the Great Plains
August 11, 2020
Fire used to play a big role in shaping the Great Plains. Does it today and how do the Plains recover from fire? Dr. Victoria Donovan answers these and other questions in this ...
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Ask an Expert | Mitch Faulkner, 2020 Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, Talks Partnerships and More
May 27, 2020
Mitch Faulkner, 2020 NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, talks about the partnerships that have advanced rangeland conservation across boundaries in South ...
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Ask an Expert | When it comes to sage grouse habitat: Don’t sweat the small stuff
February 27, 2020
Ask a Expert | When it Comes to Sage Grouse Habitat, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: A Conversation with Joe Smith, Working Lands for Wildlife ...
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Ask an Expert | How Does Grazing Affect Native Pollinators
February 20, 2020
Join Gabrielle Blanchette for a deep dive into the role native pollinators play in rangelands and how grazing can impact these critical components of a healthy ...
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Ask an Expert | The Science Behind Private Lands Conservation: A Conversation with Dr. David Naugle, Working Lands for Wildlife Science Advisor
January 21, 2020
Learn more about WLFW's approach to science, how the coproduction of science benefits private-lands conservation and what's next for the Western WLFW science ...
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Why You Should Know About the Eastern Redcedar Science Literacy Project
September 23, 2019
Ask an Expert | What is the Eastern Redcedar Science Literacy Project and Why You Should Know About It - An interview with Dr. Dirac Twidwell of University of the ...
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Cutting to the Chase: Long-Term Success of Conifer Removal Depends on Both Cutting and Burning
September 10, 2019
Ask an Expert | How to use cutting and burning to most effectively restore sagebrush ecosystems experiencing conifer ...
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How do lesser prairie-chickens like mesquite removal? Ask an Expert with Dr. Christian Hagen
July 2, 2019
Dr. Christian Hagen discusses his new research on mesquite trees, lesser prairie-chickens and how science can help inform the most effective places to invest restoration ...
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Sage Grouse Populations Grow When Conifers are Removed
May 14, 2019
Ask an Expert - Andrew Olsen explains his research that shows sage grouse populations rise 12% following sustained and targeted conifer ...
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Conversation with Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, Rebecca Knapp
April 24, 2019
In February, the Society for Rangeland Management awarded Rebecca Knapp its highest honor, Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year. We sat down with Knapp to discuss her ...
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Patterns in Rangeland Productivity and Land Ownership and What They Mean for Conservation
March 6, 2019
Ask an Expert: Dr. Brady Allred, Associate Professor of Rangeland Ecology, University of Montana | Patterns in Rangeland Productivity and Land Ownership and What They Mean for ...
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How Do Mule Deer Use Sagebrush?
February 5, 2019
Miles Moretti of the Mule Deer Foundation tells us how mule deer use sagebrush country and why MDF is partnering to conserve western ...
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How Can Emerging Technology Help Conserve Rangeland?
December 5, 2018
Research scientist Dr. Matthew Jones explains how cloud computing and machine learning are changing the way we visualize and manage ...
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What Is Low-Tech Stream Restoration?
August 27, 2018
River expert Joe Wheaton explains how simple, cost-effective, hand-built structures are helping repair streams across the ...
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What Causes Wildfires In The West?
April 23, 2018
Wildfires are now more frequent and more intense in sagebrush country. Learn why (and how to reduce fire risk) from BLM fire planner Darcy ...
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Why Is Cheatgrass Bad?
January 30, 2018
Mike Pellant with the Bureau of Land Management explains how cheatgrass and wildfire create a vicious cycle that harms wildlife and our way of life in the West ... and gives ...
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What’s It Like To Photograph Sage Grouse?
October 23, 2017
Wildlife photographer, Noppadol Paothong, spent 5 years on his newly released book, Sage Grouse: Icon of the West. Learn how and why he created this beautiful book featuring ...
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Do Elk Need Sagebrush?
September 11, 2017
Historically, elk were found in all but five states in the U.S. However, due to over-hunting, elk populations declined from more than 10 million to less than 100,000 by the ...
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How Do We Find (And Protect) Precious Wet Places In The West?
May 10, 2017
Mesic areas comprise only 1-2% of the western landscape, but 80% of animals depend on them -- including sage grouse and livestock. Learn why they're important and how to ...
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How Do Conservation Easements Work?
April 20, 2017
In Montana, landowners have partnered with local land trusts to conserve 2 million acres. Expert Lisa McCauley from NRCS explains why easements work for ranchers and ...
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What Do Sage Grouse Do All Winter?
February 1, 2017
Sage grouse are tough birds, surviving through cold winters in western North America. Learn how they thrive, even during the harshest ...
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Tag, you’re it! How do researchers track sage grouse chicks?
November 7, 2016
Meet expert Mark Szczypinski with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. He tells us all about how to track sage grouse hens and their ...
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What’s The Difference Between Gunnison And Greater Sage-Grouse?
September 28, 2016
Did you know that Gunnison sage-grouse have longer ponytails than greater sage-grouse? Learn more about the differences between the two species from expert Marcella Fremgen, a ...
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Why Grow Sagebrush Seedlings in Prisons?
August 11, 2016
The Sagebrush Project, part of the Sustainability in Prisons Project, expands the opportunities for 175 inmates in 11 prisons across 6 states by teaching them to grow ...
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Ask An Expert | How Does Removing Conifers Help Oregon’s Grouse?
May 31, 2016
Wildlife biologist Fozz Foster works on restoring and improving habitat in Oregon's sagebrush sea. In this 'Ask an Expert' interview, he tells SGI about how he works ...
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How Do Sage Grouse Mate?
March 14, 2016
Learn for sagebrush expert Trisha Cracroft, NRCS Idaho State Biologist, about when sage grouse congregate to strut their stuff, and why healthy sagebrush is important for hens ...