Photo: Noppadol Paothong
Success Stories
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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Holding the Line: Defending Wyoming’s Sagebrush Cores from Cheatgrass
March 27, 2024
Sublette County, Wyoming has successfully treated more than 97,000 acres of cheatgrass, protecting core sagebrush ...
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Migratory Big Game Conservation Highlights the Best of West
December 8, 2023
Learn more about the USDA's Migratory Big Game Initiative and how WLFW is helping lead this broad effort in Wyoming, Montana, and ...
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2023 Western Working Lands for Wildlife Workshop Recap
July 27, 2023
Learn more about the 2023 Western Working Lands for Wildlife ...
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Saving Time, Money and Wildlife through Conservation Practices
November 18, 2022
Jeff Boardman's partnership with the USDA-NRCS is paying off for him and for the migratory big game that move through his ranch every ...
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Latest Sage Grouse “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes
November 17, 2022
The latest Greater Sage-Grouse Scorecard details NRCS investments and conservation milestones in sagebrush country for fiscal year 2022 and cumulatively since ...
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Latest LPCI “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes
November 17, 2022
Check out the latest Lesser Prairie-Chicken Scorecard which details NRCS investments and conservation milestones in the southern Plains states for fiscal year 2022 and ...
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Making Fences Friendlier for Ranchers and Wildlife
August 23, 2022
The Vickrey Family hosts one of the largest mule deer migrations in the country and has worked with the NRCS to make their ranch's fences easier for the deer to ...
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Creating Jobs Through Conservation in Southwest Montana
March 22, 2022
In southwest Montana, a creative partnership is improving sagebrush habitat, providing jobs, and empowering youth, one project at a ...
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Beaver Breaks: How Beavers (and low-tech riparian restoration) Help Reduce Impacts From Fire
November 29, 2021
Historically, beavers created vast wetlands that provided critically important habitat for a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. Now, conservationists are restoring ...
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Warners
November 23, 2021
For eight years, SGI and partners have conducted a long-term conifer removal project in the Warner Mountains in SE Oregon. In addition to removing encroaching trees, ...
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The Story of Saving the Loess Canyons
October 20, 2021
A new report highlights how landowners in the Loess Canyons of Nebraska have successfully reversed tree encroachment in grasslands while also facilitating co-produced science ...
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Conserving Prime Hay Ground As Well As Colorado’s Famous Elk and Deer
August 23, 2021
The Etchart Family worked with the NRCS, TNC, and the CO Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust to place much of the ranch in a conservation easement protecting this prime ...
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Sage Grouse Populations Grow Faster After Tree Removal
June 10, 2021
New study shows that sage grouse population growth rates are 12% higher following long-term conifer ...
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Washington Ranch Preserves Sagebrush Rangeland in Perpetuity
May 26, 2021
New conservation easement in Washington state preserves more than 2,000 acres of native sagebrush range in critical sage grouse habitat, adding to a 6,800-acre easement the ...
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The Value of Keeping it in Grass
May 26, 2021
The Burke Family's long partnership with NRCS has led to better forage for livestock and wildlife and, in 2017, their ranch was protected in perpetuity through a ...
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Healthy Grass Equals Profitable Ranches
March 15, 2021
The Blair family has worked hard to make their ranch profitable and resilient which benefits wildlife and the next generation. Read all about their work with SGI and other ...
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Shared Capacity, Shared Success
February 21, 2021
Learn about the Strategic Action Watershed Team and how these partner-positions are adding significant capacity to NRCS offices across the ...
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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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Success Story | Innovative Small Business Owner Integral to Restoring Grazing Lands
May 6, 2020
Meet Cecil Swaggart, an innovative small business owner whose expertise is advancing sagebrush restoration in the ...
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SGI’s “Ranching First” Approach Proves Key to Protecting Ranch in Washington
March 10, 2020
The Keane Ranch is now protected from development in perpetuity thanks to a conservation easement supported, in part, by the ...
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Nature’s Engineers: How Beavers Boost Streamflows and Restore Habitat
January 13, 2020
Almost like magic...How beavers boost streamflows and restore habitat with a little help from ...
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Low tech riparian restoration hits the ground in Idaho
November 6, 2019
In Idaho, low-tech stream restoration is taking off, thanks in part, to SGI's workshops and education ...
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Birds of a Feather on Working Lands
August 20, 2019
Read about how Working Lands for Wildlife is benefiting the golden-winged warbler and the greater sage grouse, two bird species that have more in common than ...
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Western Working Lands for Wildlife 2019 Workshop – Rangeland Resiliency
June 25, 2019
Read about the workshop and conference in Twin Falls, Idaho and follow along with the second-day field tour across Idaho and ...
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Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon For Wildlife And Livestock
June 12, 2019
Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon for Wildlife and Livestock | Read how Stephen and Kris Ellis keep their family tradition alive and strong on the Circle Bar ...
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Conservation Easements Continue to Protect Idaho’s Pioneers-To-Craters Landscape
May 23, 2019
Two new easements protect an additional 2,500 acres of prime sagebrush habitat, adding to area's conservation ...
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Our Amazing Grasslands Video – The Conner Ranch
March 19, 2019
New video highlights the Conner Ranch in Belle Fourche, South Dakota where Dan and Cindi Conner have worked with SGI and other partners to improve their ranch for sage grouse ...
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1,800 Ranchers and Counting!
December 18, 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, the Sage Grouse Initiative caught up with Tim Griffiths, NRCS’s Western Working Lands for Wildlife Coordinator, for a glance back and a peek ...
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Oregon Ranchers Sustain “Heart Of The Desert”
November 12, 2018
Maintaining an “emerald island” in the middle of the desert is no small task. Here’s how the Fitzgeralds do it on their Oregon ...
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#FridaysOnTheFarm | For Future Generations of Ranchers and Sage Grouse
November 2, 2018
Meet David Sceirine, a rancher protecting key wildlife habitat on his family’s ranch near Bridgeport Valley, ...
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Partnering To Conserve A Sagebrush Landscape
October 24, 2018
Innovative partnerships with private landowners and public land managers on working rangelands in Southwest Montana are conserving sagebrush ...
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Meet Leah Mori: Helping Ranchers Weather Wildfire Storms in Nevada’s Sagebrush Sea
August 20, 2018
This story features Leah Mori, a soil conservation technician in Winnemucca, Nevada, who is combating the twin threats of wildfire and ...
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#ConservationRoadtrip | Taking No-Till To The Next Level
July 30, 2018
With help from NRCS, Montana rancher returns cropland to permanent grasses and forbs to provide forage for livestock and sage ...
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Combatting Cheatgrass On Private Ranch Lands In Wyoming Benefits Sage Grouse
July 1, 2018
Learn how Wyoming landowner DeWitt Morris is working with the NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative to create a model for other ranchers on how to thwart invasive cheatgrass on ...
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NEW Story Map Highlights Rural Communities & Positive Partnerships
June 28, 2018
Check out this new story map that highlights the people working together across sagebrush rangeland to protect the places that matter to ...
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Lessons & Photos from SGI’s 8th Annual Workshop: Combating Wildfire & Weeds
June 18, 2018
The 2018 SGI field tour and presentations focused on cooperative, science-based conservation that's working to thwart fire and invasives in sagebrush ...
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#FridaysOnTheFarm: Restoring Sagebrush Country With ‘Modern Wildfire’
June 8, 2018
Through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI), private landowners across Eastern Oregon are volunteering to perform proactive conservation treatments on their rangeland to promote ...
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Idaho Models “3 C’s”: Collaboration, Cooperation, Conservation
May 8, 2018
In Idaho, agencies and landowners are working together across boundaries to restore sagebrush ...
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BEEF Magazine | Thomas Brothers Make The Ground Better In Idaho
February 14, 2018
By Brianna Randall | Partnering with the USDA-led Sage Grouse Initiative helps young ranchers improve the land for both sage grouse and ...
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The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come
January 4, 2018
by Brianna Randall | Conserving our natural resources is one of the ways we can give back to our children, communities, and economy for years to come. And the gift that keeps ...
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FAIR CHASE Magazine | The Value of Sagebrush Country
December 8, 2017
by Josh Millspaugh | This feature in the December 2017 issue of Fair Chase Magazine highlights how sage grouse conservation benefits hunters and a host of wildlife ...
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VIDEOS | Meet The Thomas Family, Sustainable Ranchers in Idaho
November 20, 2017
Watch short videos to hear how and why two young ranchers have put in place conservation practices that benefit the bird and their ...
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BUGLE Magazine | Sage Grouse + Elk = Peanut Butter & Jelly
October 19, 2017
Bugle Magazine, a publication of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, published this feature story on the value of conserving sagebrush country in its Nov/Dec 2017 ...
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#HabitatHero Mike Fenn: Leaving A Legacy For Wildlife In Wyoming
September 25, 2017
by Brianna Randall | Landowners like Mike Fenn in western Wyoming are voluntarily stepping up to protect and restore the sagebrush country that supports their way of ...
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Local Partners Mimic Beavers To Restore Streams In Wyoming
September 22, 2017
SGI field conservationist Mandi Hirsch shares emerging "beaver dam analogue" technology with local partners, which is paying dividends for working lands and wildlife near ...
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Military, Conservationists, Rancher Join Forces For Economy And Wildlife In Nevada
September 12, 2017
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative partners with the Dept. of Defense and others to conserve the Smith Creek Ranch in the heart of Nevada’s sagebrush ...
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COOL GREEN SCIENCE | The Stream Whisperer Restores Sage Grouse Habitat
August 23, 2017
by Brianna Randall | Bill Zeedyk teaches Westerners how to “think like water” to restore precious wet habitat in the sagebrush ...
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Meet Greg: A Sagebush Habitat Hero
June 27, 2017
by Jodi Stemler | Check out this multimedia story about how an SGI-enrolled rancher is leading the way in stewarding working lands and wildlife on his ranch in Colorado's ...
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Stewardship With Vision | David Spicer Conserves Habitat In Nevada
June 23, 2017
Nevada rancher and miner shares his story of why he believes in conserving Nevada's Oasis Valley in a new video produced by the Western Landowners ...
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Learning To Think Like Water & Photos From SGI’s 7th Annual Workshop
June 21, 2017
Over 170 sagebrush conservation partners from around the West met in Colorado to learn what's working for the bird and the herd. Watch the video ...
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Prairie-chicken Restoration Efforts Take Flight in Southeast Colorado
June 19, 2017
LPCI NEWS RELEASE: Why did the lesser prairie-chicken cross the state line? If Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) biologists are successful, the answer will be to ...
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Keeping Water In Colorado’s Gunnison Basin
June 12, 2017
A collaborative partnership using innovative techniques to restore wet meadows in the Gunnison Basin is paying off for people and ...
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“Ranching Gone Right,” Thanks To Partners Like The Nature Conservancy
May 8, 2017
As a valued partner in the Sage Grouse Initiative, The Nature Conservancy works with landowners across the range on innovative grazing systems, conservation easements, and ...
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Wildhorse Ranch Project: A Win-Win Partnership To Protect Sagebrush Range
April 21, 2017
Innovative conservation easement with ranchers, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Nevada Dept. of Wildlife, and NRCS preserves agricultural working lands, wildlife habitat, and ...
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Rancher K.D. Leander Leaves A Conservation Legacy in Eastern Washington
February 14, 2017
This late rancher's early adoption of range conservation practices encouraged his neighbors to also enroll in Sage Grouse Initiative programs. Learn ...
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$8 Million Fund Created to Improve Water Quality and Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse in the Eastern Sierra
January 20, 2017
Both the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse and agricultural ranchlands will benefit from a just-announced $8 million USDA investment in California and ...
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Oregon Rancher Mike Greeley Enhances Mahogany Mountain For The Bird And The Herd
December 6, 2016
Rancher Mike Greeley uses conservation-minded management to sustain his working lands in eastern Oregon for wildlife and livestock. Check out this video of Mike on his ...
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Realizing “The True Potential” For Working Lands And Wildlife In Sagebrush Country
November 2, 2016
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative continues to build field capacity, expand our science team, and strengthen partnerships across the sagebrush landscape. Read our latest ...
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Healthy Range Is Productive Range For Sage Grouse, Prairie Chickens, And Cows
October 19, 2016
Sage grouse and lesser prairie-chickens both need healthy rangeland to thrive. So do cattle. Learn more about how NRCS is supporting range conservation practices that help ...
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Collaborative Conservation Is Paying Off For The Sagebrush Ecosystem
October 5, 2016
A new joint report and story map highlight continued sagebrush conservation partnerships that are working for wildlife and ranchers in the West. Learn more about "Greater ...
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A Special Recipe For Saving Sage Grouse | Wildlife Photographic Magazine Feature
September 13, 2016
by Brianna Randall | This multi-media story about the Sage Grouse Initiative is the feature in the new issue of Wildlife Photographic Magazine. Learn more about SGI's ...
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Kennedy Ranch Conservation Improvements Benefit Both Livestock And Wildlife In Utah
August 23, 2016
In northeastern Utah, the Kennedy family's land ethic and commitment to improving natural resources has led them to expand their ranch. Learn how SGI helped them install water ...
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“It’s About Working Lands For Agriculture And Working Lands For Wildlife”
August 16, 2016
by Lori Valdez | In Lavina, Montana, the Wessel Ranch worked with the Sage Grouse Initiative to improve rangeland for their cattle and prime habitat for wildlife like sage ...
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Helmick Family Conserves Vital Habitat For Sage Grouse In Idaho
July 28, 2016
To this multi-generational family, conservation and ranching are one and the same. Learn how they've worked with SGI to increase carrying capacity and grass production for the ...
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New Easements in Montana Protect the Longest Known Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
June 30, 2016
The Nature Conservancy has secured conservation easements that preserve both the West's ranching heritage and sage-grass habitat on 25,000 acres of the Carroll Ranch. The ...
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Rockin’ TD Ranch Champions Rangeland Conservation in Nevada
June 21, 2016
Tony and Diane Stobiecki partner with the Sage Grouse Initiative to improve habitat for wildlife and their ranch's bottom line by putting in place projects that improve water ...
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Oregon Ranchers Raise Cattle With A Conservation Vision
April 25, 2016
"Our belief is that we need to make things better, and leave a legacy for our kids and our grandkids and the neighborhood as a whole," says Oregon rancher Mark Bennett. Read ...
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Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming
April 19, 2016
Pat and Sharon O’Toole make their living by ranching on the sagebrush sea along the Wyoming-Colorado border. They raise sheep and cattle, sage grouse and trout, as well as ...
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New England Cottontail | Another Success Story for Proactive Voluntary Conservation
September 11, 2015
Landowners on the East Coast brought about a major success today with their voluntary conservation efforts for the New England cottontail. Partners announced that foresters ...
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Rancher Weathers Drought with LPCI Conservation Assistance
June 11, 2015
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: Rancher Bill Barby of southwest Kansas weathered recent severe drought with the help of federal wildlife habitat enhancement programs. Read his story ...
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Stories From the Range: New Report Highlights Ranchers Restoring Habitat for Sage Grouse
June 8, 2015
We are pleased to announce the arrival of the Sand County Foundation's publication "Stories From The Range," which features six different ranchers' sage grouse conservation ...
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Round-up of Ranching Success Stories for Sage Grouse
May 20, 2015
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative partners with private landowners to put in place conservation projects like these examples, which will protect the sagebrush sea, western ...
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Sage Grouse Video on ‘Oregon Field Guide’ Nominated for Emmy Award
April 27, 2015
Oregon Public Broadcasting ran an excellent video story about sage grouse on Oregon Field Guide, which is nominated for a Northwest Regional Emmy Award. The video, produced by ...
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Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust: Viewing Sage Grouse on Conserved Ranch Inspires Staff
April 20, 2015
Seeing sage grouse inspires the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust ---a Sage Grouse Initiative partner. CCALT has protected more than 45,000 acres of sage grouse ...
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John Deere’s “The Furrow” Magazine Features SGI Ranchers in Montana
April 6, 2015
This story on voluntary range improvements by Montana ranchers Patrick and Christy Lohof appears in the new Spring edition of John Deere’s The Furrow magazine. Read on to ...
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SGI “Outcomes in Conservation” Report Demonstrates Positive Impact of $300 Million Investment in West
March 12, 2015
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today issued a report showing that since 2010 USDA and its partners in the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) have worked with ...
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Conservation Easements Protect a Special Place in Idaho
February 19, 2015
The area between the Pioneer Mountains and Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho is vitally important to sage-grouse and other wildlife. SGI has worked with 26 ...
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Collaborative Partnerships Yield Big Gains in Montana’s Centennial Valley
February 19, 2015
The collaborative Centennial Valley Collaborative Grazing Project in southwest Montana is a great example of how sage grouse conservation can be strategically met with ...
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Webinar on Sage Grouse Conservation from 2010-2015
February 18, 2015
This webinar from NRCS Chief Jason Weller shows maps and metrics detailing the remarkable conservation success story of the Sage Grouse Initiative to ...
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USDA Sage-Grouse Conservation Efforts to Continue and Grow
February 16, 2015
The NRCS Chief explains how the Sage Grouse Initiative has become a model for voluntary, incentive-based conservation at its best over the past 5 ...
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Conservation Easements in Montana Improve Sage-Grouse Migration
February 13, 2015
Recent conservation easements in Montana help maintain the sage-grouse's longest-known migration corridor between the U.S. and ...
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Colorado partnership a win-win for livestock and sage grouse
February 3, 2015
Cooperative projects like this water delivery design with Jay Yust help both ranchers and wildlife thrive on the Colorado ...
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Keeping It Together: Large Landscape Conservation in the Upper Green River, Wyoming
January 28, 2015
A colossal voluntary effort is keeping the Intermountain West's sagebrush steppe intact, which protects one of the highest density populations of greater sage grouse ...
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South Dakota rancher adds value to his operation and improves wildlife habitat
January 22, 2015
South Dakota Rancher Ron Steineke makes water delivery and grazing improvements that benefit his cattle along with sage grouse and other ...
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Major Working Ranch Conservation Easement Protects Vital Sage Grouse Habitat in NW Colorado
January 14, 2015
Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper praise voluntary conservation that's keeping working ranches and the state's prime sage grouse habitat intact. The new ...
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Five Dot Ranch Sustains Sage Grouse & Produces Natural Beef in California
January 13, 2015
The Swickard family takes pride in a pasture to plate operation. Their natural beef customers support a ranch dedicated to healthy cattle and plentiful wildlife, with a focus ...
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Delaney 44 Ranch Helps Preserve Essential Sage Grouse Habitat in Montana
December 12, 2014
Big Sky Journal's Winter Edition- 2014, features a Sage Grouse Initiative Rancher Success Story. Meet Deb and Mike Delaney. (a version of this article first appeared in Beef ...
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Masini family Preserves Lush Oasis for Bi-State Sage Grouse in Nevada
November 18, 2014
Bi-State (Nevada/California) sage grouse thrive on Masini Ranch, participants in Sage Grouse Initiative conservation easements and ...
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Tanner Family Improves Habitat For Cattle and Sage Grouse in Prime Habitat Area: NW Utah’s Box Elder County
November 10, 2014
Sage grouse, ranching, research, and wildlife viewers are all part of the award-winning Tanner Ranch in NW Utah - a Sage Grouse Initiative success ...
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National Award Honors Idaho’s Pioneers Alliance for Sage Grouse Conservation
November 6, 2014
Sage Grouse Initiative conservation easement success story: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the Pioneers Alliance of Carey, Idaho, received the ...
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Conserving Sage Grouse Across International Boundaries: Canadian ranchers tour conservation projects in northern Montana
November 3, 2014
Groups from both sides of the border met in Montana with a goal of sharing ideas to conserve the longest sage grouse migration ...
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Sage Grouse Initiative Quarterly Report: Innovative Partnerships Expand On-the-Ground Delivery of Conservation
November 1, 2014
Read the latest Sage Grouse Initiative quarterly report for partnership accomplishments via field staff, science, ...
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Dawn Nottingham: Colorado rancher improves sage grouse habitat with juniper control, wildlife-friendly fencing near Dinosaur National Monument
September 19, 2014
"We've had a good little crop of sage chickens (grouse) for years and years," says Nottingham, a third-generation rancher. "No one realized we had them. I figured it might not ...
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Utah NRCS Provides 250,000 Fence Markers This Year to Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions: Volunteers Make it Happen
September 5, 2014
NRCS Utah is making available 250,000 fence markers this year—enough to mark approximately 128 miles of fencing with a single row of markers. These dedicated volunteers ...
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Nevada “Bootstraps” Young Adult Crew Restores Sage Grouse Habitat
September 2, 2014
Read this inspiring story about the award-winning Bootstraps program - reported in the Reno Gazette Journal last month, with additional new photos (by Genevieve Mason) ...
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Central Idaho Rancher Tom Page: Big Creek Ranch Applies “All Lands Management” to Benefit Sage Grouse, other Wildlife
August 20, 2014
"I love working with SGI -- the flexibility is the really great thing," Tom Page ...
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Hunting Dog Group Helps Montana Sage Grouse: Unique “Double-Marking” Project to Prevent Fence Collisions
August 14, 2014
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association spent a hot August day giving back to the birds they care for. A dozen volunteers marked five miles of fence to prevent ...
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Eagle Scout Project Tackles Sage Grouse Fence Marking
August 13, 2014
Cache Valley Boy Scout Kaden Hart selected marking 5-miles of fence in Rich County, Utah, as his Eagle Scout Project. He worked with Taylor Payne, Sage Grouse Initiative ...
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Beef Magazine: Sage Grouse, Cattle Thrive on Rest-Rotation
August 5, 2014
The August 5th edition of Beef Magazine online features an article about the Sage Grouse Initiative and the inspiring stewardship of the Delaneys, a multi-generational ranch ...
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Washington Landowner & Agencies Secure Major Grants To Protect And Restore A Sage Grouse Oasis In Douglas County
July 28, 2014
A forward-looking landowner working with several partners has $300,000 in grants to enhance habitat on a precious parcel for sage grouse in Douglas County, ...
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North Dakota Outdoors: Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat
July 24, 2014
North Dakota Outdoors featured one of the Sage Grouse Initiative rancher success stories in its July, 2014 issue, authored by Steve Stuebner. Rancher Rob Brooks and partners ...
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Oregon Rancher Gary Bedortha Removes Juniper Trees to Create a Safe Haven for Sage Grouse
June 12, 2014
Rancher Gary Bedortha shares his story of juniper removal on 12,000 acres of his private ranchland near Paulina to benefit sage grouse and the sagebrush-steppe ...
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Washington: Big-scale Conservation Starts at Rancher Allen Miller’s Kitchen Table
June 10, 2014
This article appears in the June/July 2014 issue of Working Ranch ...
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Montana Bug Study Investigates Benefits of Prescribed Grazing for Sage Grouse Chicks
June 9, 2014
Hayes Goosey is leading a unique four-year study near Roundup, Montana, to investigate a key part of sage grouse diet in spring and summer, particularly for the growing ...
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Field & Stream Magazine Films “Hero for a Day”: Sage Grouse Volunteers Lend a Hand on Bequette Ranch
May 19, 2014
Dave Bequette couldn’t be happier with the conservation results on his family ranch south of Laurel, after the May 11th “Hero for a Day” volunteer project that will ...
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New Milestones for Sage Grouse Initiative from Partnership With Intermountain West Joint Venture
May 2, 2014
Across 11 western states in sage grouse strongholds, 24 biologists and range conservationists funded to carry out the Sage Grouse Initiative are making a tangible difference.
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North Dakota Sage Grouse Initiative Partnership: Planting Wyoming Big Sage on Brooks Ranch Enhances Sage Grouse Habitat
April 22, 2014
North Dakota cattle rancher Rob Brooks is supportive and participating in restoring sagebrush to his land to give sage grouse a chance here at the fringe of his range. The ...
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Targeting Early Phase Conifer Removal is Key to Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat
April 9, 2014
Removing junipers and other conifers that are early invaders of sagebrush-steppe is less costly, and much more likely to be effective, than a delay-and-repair approach that ...
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IWJV News: SGI Partner Positions Offer a New Model for Field Staffing to Help Ranchers Conserve Sage Grouse
February 25, 2014
When Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) range conservationist Mandi Hirsch heads out into the sagebrush from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Lander, ...
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2014 Farm Bill Signed Into Law: Sodsaver Provision a Win for Sage Grouse & Ranching
February 7, 2014
Eastern Montana rancher Bill Milton is pleased to see a new sodsaver provision in the Farm Bill of 2014, signed by the President today. He runs a grass-fed cattle operation ...
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Proactive Sage Grouse Conservation: A Closer Look at U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell’s Visit to the Bord Gulch Ranch
February 7, 2014
U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell and other top officials saw the Sage Grouse Initiative partnership in action at the Bord Gulch Ranch, NW ...
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Sports Afield: Mule Deer Benefit from Sage Grouse Initiative
January 31, 2014
The next time you hunt a big mule deer buck in Wyoming, you might want to thank a sage grouse. That’s because a major initiative to conserve sage grouse populations in the ...
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Life on the Range: Idaho SGI Rancher Jared Bracket is Steward of Cattle & Sage Grouse
January 7, 2014
"This is as good as it gets. We're quite proud of it. Unless you have something to hide, there's nothing to be scared of. Because in the end, the resource will show what's ...
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Sage Grouse and Wetland Habitat Preserved on Colorado’s Coyte Ranch
December 18, 2013
Sage grouse and wetland habitats are conserved together along with the future of a working ranch in Northwest Colorado. The closing of the Coyte Ranch conservation easement ...
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Ray Owens: Innovative Ranch Manager Teams Up With Sage Grouse Initiative in NW Colorado
December 16, 2013
Ray Owens is a ranch manager of the Bord Gulch Ranch, north of Craig, Colorado, in Moffat County. He may also be one of the most vigilant observers of sagebrush land, and an ...
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Montana Launches First “Fence-marking Partnership Project” in Ekalaka
December 5, 2013
The state’s first fence-marking partnership project to prevent sage grouse collisions started not in Ekalaka, but another hour and a half drive from there into a vast sea of ...
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Eastern Sierra Land Trust Works to Conserve Sage Grouse Habitat and Rural Heritage
November 11, 2013
"It is important to preserve and maintain the history of the area and the legacy of the cattle. The only way to protect the land is to not put houses on it." - Mark Lacey, ...
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Sage Grouse Initiative Field Team Chalks up a Million Acres Worth of Success
November 4, 2013
Conservation enhancements directly linked to the SGI field staff working one-on-one with landowners have crossed the million acre ...
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Meet me at the Border: Sage Grouse Initiative Projects Converge on Utah-Colorado Boundary
October 31, 2013
Ranchers Scott and Alan Chew know what it’s like to work across borders. The Utah and Colorado boundary literally crosses through their property that’s part of vast ...
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Joe Painter: South Dakota Rancher Voluntarily Improves Prime Sage Grouse Habitat
October 1, 2013
Joe Painter credits his grandfather for his appreciation of the sage grouse, sharptails, pheasants, ducks, wild turkeys and Hungarian partridge that share his windswept cattle ...
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Lehfeldts Change Grazing Practices to Benefit Sheep, Cattle and Sage Grouse
September 30, 2013
“Establishing these pastures and rotational grazing has improved our bottom line. We’ve had more grass, so our livestock does better. We’re selling a higher weight ...
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Montana Eagle Scout Leads Effort to Mark Fences for Sage Grouse
September 26, 2013
Matt Light, a Boy Scout from Billings, Montana, completed an ambitious project last spring for his Eagle Scout Service Project, one that he hopes will make a difference for ...
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Sage Grouse Initiative Field Staff Earn Top Awards From Pheasants Forever
September 19, 2013
Sage Grouse Initiative field staff Gillian Brooks and Scott Scroggie earned prestigious awards from Pheasants Forever at a recent national staff meeting in Estes Park, ...
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Saving Sage Grouse from the Trees: New Study Shows Benefits of Targeted Tree Removal to Declining Birds
September 17, 2013
Proactive conservation that removes encroaching trees helps maintain sage grouse populations within their remaining strongholds, according to a study published today in the ...
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Removing Junipers Benefits Wildlife and Range in Owyhee County
August 22, 2013
When Owyhee County rancher Chris Black walked into the Mountain Home Service Center last November, he seemed to have read my mind. He’d been high on my list to contact about ...
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Ground-breaking Watershed-scale Grazing Project, Utah
July 29, 2013
In the far northeast corner of Utah dwell more sage grouse than in any other part of the state. Here, a ground-breaking grazing management plan is ...
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Dennis Sun, Casper, Wyoming: Ranching with Hundreds of Sage Grouse
July 29, 2013
Dennis Sun, owner of the Sun Ranch west of Casper, Wyo., and publisher/owner of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, knows sage grouse better than most people. After all, he has ...
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SGI Juniper Removal Adds to Biofuel Industry, California
July 29, 2013
Twenty-one California ranchers in Lassen and Modoc Counties have signed up for SGI programs to remove juniper that has encroached on sage grouse habitat and reduced forage for ...
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Ranchers Pass on a Legacy in Idaho’s Pioneer Mountains
July 24, 2013
“You don’t own the ranch. The ranch owns you," says John Peavey, a third generation rancher and former state senator. He joins other voices of Idaho ranchers taking ...
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Montana Association Of Conservation Districts funds four more projects through the Sage-Grouse Conservation Grant program
January 5, 2013
Thanks to a generous grant from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana Association of Conservation Districts was able to award four more grants to help conserve sage ...
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Sage Grouse Recovery in Washington Takes Giant Step Forward
December 1, 2012
“We’re on the gain here for sage grouse,” says rancher Kay D. Leander, who lives in Douglas County near Leahy Junction, about 30 miles west of Grand Coulee Dam, ...
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Don and Sheila Phillips – a Nevada sage grouse success story
November 28, 2012
Ely, Nevada – Cattle ranchers Don and Sheila Phillips want to help out sage grouse on their ranch, but Don wasn’t convinced those new white vinyl markers he’d agreed to ...
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Montana Conservation Corps: Walking the Range for Seeds
August 15, 2012
BOZEMAN – Two teen leaders from California and Michigan along with six volunteers from Bozeman pitched in to collect plant species important to sage ...
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SGI Partnership Works to Conserve International Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
July 29, 2012
Canada's only viable population of sage grouse depends on habitats in two countries. The revelation that the birds migrate 70 to 120 miles south each winter came from USDA ...
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North Park Ranch Preserves Wildlife & Ranching Heritage
March 30, 2012
n early 2012, the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) teamed up with partners to protect 2,240 acres of the historic Coyte Ranch in North Park, the largest ...