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.

Montana Sheep Grower Explores Value-Added Options for Livestock
Featured Rancher

Montana Sheep Grower Explores Value-Added Options for Livestock

Learn how sheep and cattle rancher, Ben Lehfeldt, is working with the NRCS to make his operation more profitable and better for ...
From Bird To Biome: Keeping the range intact for wildlife and people
News

From Bird To Biome: Keeping the range intact for wildlife and people

Learn more about our shift from species-specific conservation to biome-centric ...
Green River Valley, Wyoming: A land conservation model to follow
News

Green River Valley, Wyoming: A land conservation model to follow

Conservation easements on private agricultural lands in Wyoming are benefiting ranchers, big game, sage grouse, and rural ...
USDA, USFWS, State Partners Find Non-Lethal Answers to Grizzly Bear Interactions on Montana Ranches
News

USDA, USFWS, State Partners Find Non-Lethal Answers to Grizzly Bear Interactions on Montana Ranches

Montana ranchers and partners are working to keep grizzly bears, people, and livestock safe on working ...
Holding the Line: Defending Wyoming’s Sagebrush Cores from Cheatgrass
News

Holding the Line: Defending Wyoming’s Sagebrush Cores from Cheatgrass

Sublette County, Wyoming has successfully treated more than 97,000 acres of cheatgrass, protecting core sagebrush ...
Migratory Big Game Conservation Highlights the Best of West
News

Migratory Big Game Conservation Highlights the Best of West

Learn more about the USDA's Migratory Big Game Initiative and how WLFW is helping lead this broad effort in Wyoming, Montana, and ...
Meet Bob Budd
News

Meet Bob Budd

Hear how Bob Budd from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Fund works with the NRCS and local ...
2023 Western Working Lands for Wildlife Workshop Recap
News

2023 Western Working Lands for Wildlife Workshop Recap

Learn more about the 2023 Western Working Lands for Wildlife ...
Saving Time, Money and Wildlife through Conservation Practices
News

Saving Time, Money and Wildlife through Conservation Practices

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 ...
Latest Sage Grouse “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes
News

Latest Sage Grouse “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes

The latest Greater Sage-Grouse Scorecard details NRCS investments and conservation milestones in sagebrush country for fiscal year 2022 and cumulatively since ...
Latest LPCI “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes
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Latest LPCI “Scorecard” Highlights NRCS Investments and Outcomes

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 ...
Making Fences Friendlier for Ranchers and Wildlife
News

Making Fences Friendlier for Ranchers and Wildlife

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 ...
Meet Brian Jensen
News

Meet Brian Jensen

Hear how Wyoming NRCS's State Biologist, Brian Jensen, uses science to help prioritize where conservation easements most benefit ...
Meet Jessica Crowder
News

Meet Jessica Crowder

Hear how Jessica Crowder's role as executive director of the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust has been so important to the conservation easement culture in the Green River ...
Meet Jennifer Hayward
News

Meet Jennifer Hayward

Hear why Jennifer Hayward believes easements have been so successful in Wyoming's Green River ...
Meet Maggie Miller
News

Meet Maggie Miller

Hear why Grindstone Cattle Company's Maggie Miller worked with the NRCS to conserve her land through conservation ...
Creating Jobs Through Conservation in Southwest Montana
News

Creating Jobs Through Conservation in Southwest Montana

In southwest Montana, a creative partnership is improving sagebrush habitat, providing jobs, and empowering youth, one project at a ...
Beaver Breaks: How Beavers (and low-tech riparian restoration) Help Reduce Impacts From Fire
News

Beaver Breaks: How Beavers (and low-tech riparian restoration) Help Reduce Impacts From Fire

Historically, beavers created vast wetlands that provided critically important habitat for a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. Now, conservationists are restoring ...
The Story of Saving the Loess Canyons
News

The Story of Saving the Loess Canyons

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 ...
Conserving Prime Hay Ground As Well As Colorado’s Famous Elk and Deer
News

Conserving Prime Hay Ground As Well As Colorado’s Famous Elk and Deer

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 ...
Sage Grouse Populations Grow Faster After Tree Removal
News

Sage Grouse Populations Grow Faster After Tree Removal

New study shows that sage grouse population growth rates are 12% higher following long-term conifer ...
Washington Ranch Preserves Sagebrush Rangeland in Perpetuity
News

Washington Ranch Preserves Sagebrush Rangeland in Perpetuity

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 ...
The Value of Keeping it in Grass
News

The Value of Keeping it in Grass

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 ...
Healthy Grass Equals Profitable Ranches
News

Healthy Grass Equals Profitable Ranches

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 ...
Shared Capacity, Shared Success
News

Shared Capacity, Shared Success

Learn about the Strategic Action Watershed Team and how these partner-positions are adding significant capacity to NRCS offices across the ...
Ask an Expert | Mitch Faulkner, 2020 Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, Talks Partnerships and More
News

Ask an Expert | Mitch Faulkner, 2020 Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, Talks Partnerships and More

Mitch Faulkner, 2020 NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, talks about the partnerships that have advanced rangeland conservation across boundaries in South ...
Success Story | Innovative Small Business Owner Integral to Restoring Grazing Lands
News

Success Story | Innovative Small Business Owner Integral to Restoring Grazing Lands

Meet Cecil Swaggart, an innovative small business owner whose expertise is advancing sagebrush restoration in the ...
SGI’s “Ranching First” Approach Proves Key to Protecting Ranch in Washington
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SGI’s “Ranching First” Approach Proves Key to Protecting Ranch in Washington

The Keane Ranch is now protected from development in perpetuity thanks to a conservation easement supported, in part, by the ...
Nature’s Engineers: How Beavers Boost Streamflows and Restore Habitat
News

Nature’s Engineers: How Beavers Boost Streamflows and Restore Habitat

Almost like magic...How beavers boost streamflows and restore habitat with a little help from ...
Low tech riparian restoration hits the ground in Idaho
News

Low tech riparian restoration hits the ground in Idaho

In Idaho, low-tech stream restoration is taking off, thanks in part, to SGI's workshops and education ...
Birds of a Feather on Working Lands
News

Birds of a Feather on Working Lands

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 ...
Western Working Lands for Wildlife 2019 Workshop – Rangeland Resiliency
News

Western Working Lands for Wildlife 2019 Workshop – Rangeland Resiliency

Read about the workshop and conference in Twin Falls, Idaho and follow along with the second-day field tour across Idaho and ...
Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon For Wildlife And Livestock
News

Sustainable Ranching in Utah: A Boon For Wildlife And Livestock

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 ...
Conservation Easements Continue to Protect Idaho’s Pioneers-To-Craters Landscape
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Conservation Easements Continue to Protect Idaho’s Pioneers-To-Craters Landscape

Two new easements protect an additional 2,500 acres of prime sagebrush habitat, adding to area's conservation ...
Our Amazing Grasslands Video – The Conner Ranch
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Our Amazing Grasslands Video – The Conner Ranch

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 ...
1,800 Ranchers and Counting!
News

1,800 Ranchers and Counting!

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 ...
Oregon Ranchers Sustain “Heart Of The Desert”
News

Oregon Ranchers Sustain “Heart Of The Desert”

Maintaining an “emerald island” in the middle of the desert is no small task. Here’s how the Fitzgeralds do it on their Oregon ...
#FridaysOnTheFarm | For Future Generations of Ranchers and Sage Grouse
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#FridaysOnTheFarm | For Future Generations of Ranchers and Sage Grouse

Meet David Sceirine, a rancher protecting key wildlife habitat on his family’s ranch near Bridgeport Valley, ...
Partnering To Conserve A Sagebrush Landscape
News

Partnering To Conserve A Sagebrush Landscape

Innovative partnerships with private landowners and public land managers on working rangelands in Southwest Montana are conserving sagebrush ...
Meet Leah Mori: Helping Ranchers Weather Wildfire Storms in Nevada’s Sagebrush Sea
News

Meet Leah Mori: Helping Ranchers Weather Wildfire Storms in Nevada’s Sagebrush Sea

This story features Leah Mori, a soil conservation technician in Winnemucca, Nevada, who is combating the twin threats of wildfire and ...
#ConservationRoadtrip | Taking No-Till To The Next Level
News

#ConservationRoadtrip | Taking No-Till To The Next Level

With help from NRCS, Montana rancher returns cropland to permanent grasses and forbs to provide forage for livestock and sage ...
Combatting Cheatgrass On Private Ranch Lands In Wyoming Benefits Sage Grouse
News

Combatting Cheatgrass On Private Ranch Lands In Wyoming Benefits Sage Grouse

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 ...
NEW Story Map Highlights Rural Communities & Positive Partnerships
News

NEW Story Map Highlights Rural Communities & Positive Partnerships

Check out this new story map that highlights the people working together across sagebrush rangeland to protect the places that matter to ...
Lessons & Photos from SGI’s 8th Annual Workshop: Combating Wildfire & Weeds
News

Lessons & Photos from SGI’s 8th Annual Workshop: Combating Wildfire & Weeds

The 2018 SGI field tour and presentations focused on cooperative, science-based conservation that's working to thwart fire and invasives in sagebrush ...
#FridaysOnTheFarm: Restoring Sagebrush Country With ‘Modern Wildfire’
News

#FridaysOnTheFarm: Restoring Sagebrush Country With ‘Modern Wildfire’

Through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI), private landowners across Eastern Oregon are volunteering to perform proactive conservation treatments on their rangeland to promote ...
Idaho Models “3 C’s”: Collaboration, Cooperation, Conservation
News

Idaho Models “3 C’s”: Collaboration, Cooperation, Conservation

In Idaho, agencies and landowners are working together across boundaries to restore sagebrush ...
BEEF Magazine | Thomas Brothers Make The Ground Better In Idaho
News

BEEF Magazine | Thomas Brothers Make The Ground Better In Idaho

By Brianna Randall | Partnering with the USDA-led Sage Grouse Initiative helps young ranchers improve the land for both sage grouse and ...
The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come
News

The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come

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 ...
FAIR CHASE Magazine | The Value of Sagebrush Country
News

FAIR CHASE Magazine | The Value of Sagebrush Country

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 ...
VIDEOS | Meet The Thomas Family, Sustainable Ranchers in Idaho
News

VIDEOS | Meet The Thomas Family, Sustainable Ranchers in Idaho

Watch short videos to hear how and why two young ranchers have put in place conservation practices that benefit the bird and their ...
BUGLE Magazine | Sage Grouse + Elk = Peanut Butter & Jelly
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BUGLE Magazine | Sage Grouse + Elk = Peanut Butter & Jelly

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 ...
#HabitatHero Mike Fenn: Leaving A Legacy For Wildlife In Wyoming
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#HabitatHero Mike Fenn: Leaving A Legacy For Wildlife In Wyoming

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 ...
Local Partners Mimic Beavers To Restore Streams In Wyoming
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Local Partners Mimic Beavers To Restore Streams In Wyoming

SGI field conservationist Mandi Hirsch shares emerging "beaver dam analogue" technology with local partners, which is paying dividends for working lands and wildlife near ...
Military, Conservationists, Rancher Join Forces For Economy And Wildlife In Nevada
News

Military, Conservationists, Rancher Join Forces For Economy And Wildlife In Nevada

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 ...
COOL GREEN SCIENCE | The Stream Whisperer Restores Sage Grouse Habitat
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COOL GREEN SCIENCE | The Stream Whisperer Restores Sage Grouse Habitat

by Brianna Randall | Bill Zeedyk teaches Westerners how to “think like water” to restore precious wet habitat in the sagebrush ...
Meet Greg: A Sagebush Habitat Hero
News

Meet Greg: A Sagebush Habitat Hero

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 ...
Stewardship With Vision | David Spicer Conserves Habitat In Nevada
News

Stewardship With Vision | David Spicer Conserves Habitat In Nevada

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 ...
Learning To Think Like Water & Photos From SGI’s 7th Annual Workshop
News

Learning To Think Like Water & Photos From SGI’s 7th Annual Workshop

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 ...
Prairie-chicken Restoration Efforts Take Flight in Southeast Colorado
News

Prairie-chicken Restoration Efforts Take Flight in Southeast Colorado

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 ...
Keeping Water In Colorado’s Gunnison Basin
News

Keeping Water In Colorado’s Gunnison Basin

A collaborative partnership using innovative techniques to restore wet meadows in the Gunnison Basin is paying off for people and ...
“Ranching Gone Right,” Thanks To Partners Like The Nature Conservancy
News

“Ranching Gone Right,” Thanks To Partners Like The Nature Conservancy

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 ...
Wildhorse Ranch Project: A Win-Win Partnership To Protect Sagebrush Range
News

Wildhorse Ranch Project: A Win-Win Partnership To Protect Sagebrush Range

Innovative conservation easement with ranchers, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Nevada Dept. of Wildlife, and NRCS preserves agricultural working lands, wildlife habitat, and ...
Rancher K.D. Leander Leaves A Conservation Legacy in Eastern Washington
News

Rancher K.D. Leander Leaves A Conservation Legacy in Eastern Washington

This late rancher's early adoption of range conservation practices encouraged his neighbors to also enroll in Sage Grouse Initiative programs. Learn ...
$8 Million Fund Created to Improve Water Quality and Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse in the Eastern Sierra
News

$8 Million Fund Created to Improve Water Quality and Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse in the Eastern Sierra

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 ...
Oregon Rancher Mike Greeley Enhances Mahogany Mountain For The Bird And The Herd
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Oregon Rancher Mike Greeley Enhances Mahogany Mountain For The Bird And The Herd

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 ...
Realizing “The True Potential” For Working Lands And Wildlife In Sagebrush Country
News

Realizing “The True Potential” For Working Lands And Wildlife In Sagebrush Country

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 ...
Healthy Range Is Productive Range For Sage Grouse, Prairie Chickens, And Cows
News

Healthy Range Is Productive Range For Sage Grouse, Prairie Chickens, And Cows

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 ...
Collaborative Conservation Is Paying Off For The Sagebrush Ecosystem
News

Collaborative Conservation Is Paying Off For The Sagebrush Ecosystem

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 ...
A Special Recipe For Saving Sage Grouse | Wildlife Photographic Magazine Feature
News

A Special Recipe For Saving Sage Grouse | Wildlife Photographic Magazine Feature

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 ...
Kennedy Ranch Conservation Improvements Benefit Both Livestock And Wildlife In Utah
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Kennedy Ranch Conservation Improvements Benefit Both Livestock And Wildlife In Utah

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 ...
“It’s About Working Lands For Agriculture And Working Lands For Wildlife”
News

“It’s About Working Lands For Agriculture And Working Lands For Wildlife”

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 ...
Helmick Family Conserves Vital Habitat For Sage Grouse In Idaho
News

Helmick Family Conserves Vital Habitat For Sage Grouse In Idaho

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 ...
New Easements in Montana Protect the Longest Known Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
News

New Easements in Montana Protect the Longest Known Sage Grouse Migration Corridor

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 ...
Rockin’ TD Ranch Champions Rangeland Conservation in Nevada
News

Rockin’ TD Ranch Champions Rangeland Conservation in Nevada

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 ...
Oregon Ranchers Raise Cattle With A Conservation Vision
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Oregon Ranchers Raise Cattle With A Conservation Vision

"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 ...
Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming
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Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming

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 ...
New England Cottontail | Another Success Story for Proactive Voluntary Conservation
News

New England Cottontail | Another Success Story for Proactive Voluntary Conservation

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 ...
Rancher Weathers Drought with LPCI Conservation Assistance
News

Rancher Weathers Drought with LPCI Conservation Assistance

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 ...
Stories From the Range: New Report Highlights Ranchers Restoring Habitat for Sage Grouse
News

Stories From the Range: New Report Highlights Ranchers Restoring Habitat for Sage Grouse

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 ...
Round-up of Ranching Success Stories for Sage Grouse
News

Round-up of Ranching Success Stories for Sage Grouse

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 ...
Sage Grouse Video on ‘Oregon Field Guide’ Nominated for Emmy Award
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Sage Grouse Video on ‘Oregon Field Guide’ Nominated for Emmy Award

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 ...
Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust: Viewing Sage Grouse on Conserved Ranch Inspires Staff
News

Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust: Viewing Sage Grouse on Conserved Ranch Inspires Staff

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 ...
John Deere’s “The Furrow” Magazine Features SGI Ranchers in Montana
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John Deere’s “The Furrow” Magazine Features SGI Ranchers in Montana

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 ...
SGI “Outcomes in Conservation” Report Demonstrates Positive Impact of $300 Million Investment in West
News

SGI “Outcomes in Conservation” Report Demonstrates Positive Impact of $300 Million Investment in West

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 ...
Conservation Easements Protect a Special Place in Idaho
News

Conservation Easements Protect a Special Place in Idaho

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 ...
Collaborative Partnerships Yield Big Gains in Montana’s Centennial Valley
News

Collaborative Partnerships Yield Big Gains in Montana’s Centennial Valley

The collaborative Centennial Valley Collaborative Grazing Project in southwest Montana is a great example of how sage grouse conservation can be strategically met with ...
Webinar on Sage Grouse Conservation from 2010-2015
News

Webinar on Sage Grouse Conservation from 2010-2015

This webinar from NRCS Chief Jason Weller shows maps and metrics detailing the remarkable conservation success story of the Sage Grouse Initiative to ...
USDA Sage-Grouse Conservation Efforts to Continue and Grow
News

USDA Sage-Grouse Conservation Efforts to Continue and Grow

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 ...
Conservation Easements in Montana Improve Sage-Grouse Migration
News

Conservation Easements in Montana Improve Sage-Grouse Migration

Recent conservation easements in Montana help maintain the sage-grouse's longest-known migration corridor between the U.S. and ...
Colorado partnership a win-win for livestock and sage grouse
News

Colorado partnership a win-win for livestock and sage grouse

Cooperative projects like this water delivery design with Jay Yust help both ranchers and wildlife thrive on the Colorado ...
Keeping It Together: Large Landscape Conservation in the Upper Green River, Wyoming
News

Keeping It Together: Large Landscape Conservation in the Upper Green River, Wyoming

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 ...
South Dakota rancher adds value to his operation and improves wildlife habitat
News

South Dakota rancher adds value to his operation and improves wildlife habitat

South Dakota Rancher Ron Steineke makes water delivery and grazing improvements that benefit his cattle along with sage grouse and other ...
Major Working Ranch Conservation Easement Protects Vital Sage Grouse Habitat in NW Colorado
News

Major Working Ranch Conservation Easement Protects Vital Sage Grouse Habitat in NW Colorado

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 ...
Five Dot Ranch Sustains Sage Grouse & Produces Natural Beef in California
News

Five Dot Ranch Sustains Sage Grouse & Produces Natural Beef in California

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 ...
Delaney 44 Ranch Helps Preserve Essential Sage Grouse Habitat in Montana
News

Delaney 44 Ranch Helps Preserve Essential Sage Grouse Habitat in Montana

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 ...
Masini family Preserves Lush Oasis for Bi-State Sage Grouse in Nevada
News

Masini family Preserves Lush Oasis for Bi-State Sage Grouse in Nevada

Bi-State (Nevada/California) sage grouse thrive on Masini Ranch, participants in Sage Grouse Initiative conservation easements and ...
Tanner Family Improves Habitat For Cattle and Sage Grouse in Prime Habitat Area: NW Utah’s Box Elder County
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Tanner Family Improves Habitat For Cattle and Sage Grouse in Prime Habitat Area: NW Utah’s Box Elder County

Sage grouse, ranching, research, and wildlife viewers are all part of the award-winning Tanner Ranch in NW Utah - a Sage Grouse Initiative success ...
National Award Honors Idaho’s Pioneers Alliance for Sage Grouse Conservation
News

National Award Honors Idaho’s Pioneers Alliance for Sage Grouse Conservation

Sage Grouse Initiative conservation easement success story: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the Pioneers Alliance of Carey, Idaho, received the ...
Conserving Sage Grouse Across International Boundaries: Canadian ranchers tour conservation projects in northern Montana
News

Conserving Sage Grouse Across International Boundaries: Canadian ranchers tour conservation projects in northern Montana

Groups from both sides of the border met in Montana with a goal of sharing ideas to conserve the longest sage grouse migration ...
Sage Grouse Initiative Quarterly Report: Innovative Partnerships Expand On-the-Ground Delivery of Conservation
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Sage Grouse Initiative Quarterly Report: Innovative Partnerships Expand On-the-Ground Delivery of Conservation

Read the latest Sage Grouse Initiative quarterly report for partnership accomplishments via field staff, science, ...
Dawn Nottingham: Colorado rancher improves sage grouse habitat with juniper control, wildlife-friendly fencing near Dinosaur National Monument
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Dawn Nottingham: Colorado rancher improves sage grouse habitat with juniper control, wildlife-friendly fencing near Dinosaur National Monument

"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 ...
Utah NRCS Provides 250,000 Fence Markers This Year to Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions: Volunteers Make it Happen
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Utah NRCS Provides 250,000 Fence Markers This Year to Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions: Volunteers Make it Happen

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 ...
Nevada “Bootstraps”  Young Adult Crew Restores Sage Grouse Habitat
News

Nevada “Bootstraps” Young Adult Crew Restores Sage Grouse Habitat

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) ...
Central Idaho Rancher Tom Page: Big Creek Ranch Applies “All Lands Management” to Benefit Sage Grouse, other Wildlife
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Central Idaho Rancher Tom Page: Big Creek Ranch Applies “All Lands Management” to Benefit Sage Grouse, other Wildlife

"I love working with SGI -- the flexibility is the really great thing," Tom Page ...
Hunting Dog Group Helps Montana Sage Grouse: Unique “Double-Marking” Project to Prevent Fence Collisions
News

Hunting Dog Group Helps Montana Sage Grouse: Unique “Double-Marking” Project to Prevent Fence Collisions

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 ...
Eagle Scout Project Tackles Sage Grouse Fence Marking
News

Eagle Scout Project Tackles Sage Grouse Fence Marking

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 ...
Beef Magazine: Sage Grouse, Cattle Thrive on Rest-Rotation
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Beef Magazine: Sage Grouse, Cattle Thrive on Rest-Rotation

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 ...
Washington Landowner & Agencies Secure Major Grants To Protect And Restore A Sage Grouse Oasis In Douglas County
News

Washington Landowner & Agencies Secure Major Grants To Protect And Restore A Sage Grouse Oasis In Douglas County

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, ...
North Dakota Outdoors: Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat
News

North Dakota Outdoors: Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat

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 ...
Oregon Rancher Gary Bedortha Removes Juniper Trees to Create a Safe Haven for Sage Grouse
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Oregon Rancher Gary Bedortha Removes Juniper Trees to Create a Safe Haven for Sage Grouse

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 ...
Washington: Big-scale Conservation Starts at Rancher Allen Miller’s Kitchen Table
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Washington: Big-scale Conservation Starts at Rancher Allen Miller’s Kitchen Table

This article appears in the June/July 2014 issue of Working Ranch ...
Montana Bug Study Investigates  Benefits of Prescribed Grazing for Sage Grouse Chicks
News

Montana Bug Study Investigates Benefits of Prescribed Grazing for Sage Grouse Chicks

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 ...
Field & Stream Magazine Films “Hero for a Day”:  Sage Grouse Volunteers Lend a Hand on Bequette Ranch
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Field & Stream Magazine Films “Hero for a Day”: Sage Grouse Volunteers Lend a Hand on Bequette Ranch

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 ...
New Milestones for Sage Grouse Initiative from Partnership With Intermountain West Joint Venture
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New Milestones for Sage Grouse Initiative from Partnership With Intermountain West Joint Venture

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.
North Dakota Sage Grouse Initiative Partnership: Planting Wyoming Big Sage on Brooks Ranch Enhances Sage Grouse Habitat
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North Dakota Sage Grouse Initiative Partnership: Planting Wyoming Big Sage on Brooks Ranch Enhances Sage Grouse Habitat

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 ...
Targeting Early Phase Conifer Removal is Key to Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat
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Targeting Early Phase Conifer Removal is Key to Restoring Sage Grouse Habitat

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 ...
IWJV News: SGI Partner Positions Offer a New Model for Field Staffing to Help Ranchers Conserve Sage Grouse
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IWJV News: SGI Partner Positions Offer a New Model for Field Staffing to Help Ranchers Conserve Sage Grouse

When Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) range conservationist Mandi Hirsch heads out into the sagebrush from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Lander, ...
2014 Farm Bill Signed Into Law:  Sodsaver Provision a Win for Sage Grouse & Ranching
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2014 Farm Bill Signed Into Law: Sodsaver Provision a Win for Sage Grouse & Ranching

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 ...
Proactive Sage Grouse Conservation: A Closer Look at U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell’s Visit to the Bord Gulch Ranch
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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

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 ...
Sports Afield: Mule Deer Benefit from Sage Grouse Initiative
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Sports Afield: Mule Deer Benefit from Sage Grouse Initiative

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 ...
Life on the Range:  Idaho SGI Rancher Jared Bracket is Steward of Cattle & Sage Grouse
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Life on the Range: Idaho SGI Rancher Jared Bracket is Steward of Cattle & Sage Grouse

"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 ...
Sage Grouse and Wetland Habitat Preserved on Colorado’s Coyte Ranch
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Sage Grouse and Wetland Habitat Preserved on Colorado’s Coyte Ranch

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 ...
Ray Owens: Innovative Ranch Manager Teams Up With Sage Grouse Initiative in NW Colorado
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Ray Owens: Innovative Ranch Manager Teams Up With Sage Grouse Initiative in NW Colorado

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 ...
Montana Launches First “Fence-marking Partnership Project” in Ekalaka
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Montana Launches First “Fence-marking Partnership Project” in Ekalaka

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 ...
Eastern Sierra Land Trust Works to Conserve Sage Grouse Habitat and Rural Heritage
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Eastern Sierra Land Trust Works to Conserve Sage Grouse Habitat and Rural Heritage

"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, ...
Sage Grouse Initiative Field Team Chalks up a Million Acres Worth of Success
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Sage Grouse Initiative Field Team Chalks up a Million Acres Worth of Success

Conservation enhancements directly linked to the SGI field staff working one-on-one with landowners have crossed the million acre ...
Meet me at the Border: Sage Grouse Initiative Projects Converge on Utah-Colorado Boundary
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Meet me at the Border: Sage Grouse Initiative Projects Converge on Utah-Colorado Boundary

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 ...
Joe Painter: South Dakota Rancher Voluntarily Improves Prime Sage Grouse Habitat
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Joe Painter: South Dakota Rancher Voluntarily Improves Prime Sage Grouse Habitat

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 ...
Lehfeldts Change Grazing Practices to Benefit Sheep, Cattle and Sage Grouse
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Lehfeldts Change Grazing Practices to Benefit Sheep, Cattle and Sage Grouse

“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 ...
Montana Eagle Scout Leads Effort to Mark Fences for Sage Grouse
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Montana Eagle Scout Leads Effort to Mark Fences for Sage Grouse

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 ...
Sage Grouse Initiative Field Staff Earn Top Awards From Pheasants Forever
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Sage Grouse Initiative Field Staff Earn Top Awards From Pheasants Forever

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, ...
Saving Sage Grouse from the Trees: New Study Shows Benefits of Targeted Tree Removal to Declining Birds
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Saving Sage Grouse from the Trees: New Study Shows Benefits of Targeted Tree Removal to Declining Birds

Proactive conservation that removes encroaching trees helps maintain sage grouse populations within their remaining strongholds, according to a study published today in the ...
Removing Junipers Benefits Wildlife and Range in Owyhee County
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Removing Junipers Benefits Wildlife and Range in Owyhee County

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 ...
Ground-breaking Watershed-scale Grazing Project, Utah
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Ground-breaking Watershed-scale Grazing Project, Utah

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 ...
Dennis Sun, Casper, Wyoming: Ranching with Hundreds of Sage Grouse
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Dennis Sun, Casper, Wyoming: Ranching with Hundreds of Sage Grouse

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 ...
SGI Juniper Removal Adds to Biofuel Industry, California
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SGI Juniper Removal Adds to Biofuel Industry, California

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 ...
Ranchers Pass on a Legacy in Idaho’s Pioneer Mountains
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Ranchers Pass on a Legacy in Idaho’s Pioneer Mountains

“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 ...
Montana Association Of Conservation Districts funds four more projects through the Sage-Grouse Conservation Grant program
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Montana Association Of Conservation Districts funds four more projects through the Sage-Grouse Conservation Grant program

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 ...
Sage Grouse Recovery in Washington Takes Giant Step Forward
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Sage Grouse Recovery in Washington Takes Giant Step Forward

“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, ...
Don and Sheila Phillips – a Nevada sage grouse success story
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Don and Sheila Phillips – a Nevada sage grouse success story

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 ...
Montana Conservation Corps: Walking the Range for Seeds
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Montana Conservation Corps: Walking the Range for Seeds

BOZEMAN – Two teen leaders from California and Michigan along with six volunteers from Bozeman pitched in to collect plant species important to sage ...
SGI Partnership Works to Conserve International Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
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SGI Partnership Works to Conserve International Sage Grouse Migration Corridor

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 ...
North Park Ranch Preserves Wildlife & Ranching Heritage
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North Park Ranch Preserves Wildlife & Ranching Heritage

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 ...