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.
This Science to Solutions report highlights three new papers that demonstrate how conserving intact sagebrush areas benefits sagebrush-dependent songbirds and sage ...
Analysis of largest ever, cross-boundary conifer removal efforts in the sagebrush biome showed projects achieving management goals and validated need for coupled management of ...
New website highlights the latest research from diverse group of experts to help land managers, conservationists, and anyone interested in saving the sagebrush ...
The BOSH Project is the largest restoration project in the sagebrush biome. Learn how it came together, what it's acheived, and what's next in this great podcast from The Art ...
Researcher Elise Zarri spent four summers studying how songbirds responded to conifer removal targeted at sage grouse. We sat down with her and Katie Benzel, a biologist with ...
Learn about how woody species expansion or tree encroachment is impacting sagebrush and grassland ecosystems in this story from the North American Grouse Partnership ...
With record high attendance and a new exhibit setup featuring an incredible, custom grasslands mural, WLFW's presence at the 2024 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic was a ...
"Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation" is the new go-to resource for rangeland professionals, practitioners, and students. Three of the chapters were coauthored by WLFW ...
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 ...
Learn about the USDA-NRCS's recent expansion of the list of practices and activities eligible for Climate-Smart funding through the Inflation Reduction ...
WLFW research shows that 77% of invasive annual grass transition in the Great Basin occurred without fire, suggesting proactive management of invasive grasses is ...
New mapping application shows where tree expansion is happening in Montana through easy-to-see, interactive comparisons of historical and modern aerial ...
Explore past and present landscapes from the Great Plains to the Pacific coast. New, easy-to-use map uses historic and current aerial imagery to highlight how our landscapes ...
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 ...
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 ...
Join Brian Mealor, director of the University of Wyoming's Sheridan Research and Extension Center and the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses Invading Natural Ecosystems for ...
WLFW-affiliated research details the risk of increasing wildfire in the Great Plains due to woody encroachment and how prescribed fires help reduce that ...
WLFW's Jeremy Maestas and Dirac Twidwell join the Art of Range podcast for part two of a two-part discussion of Defend the Core, a proactive management strategy defending ...
New research adds connectivity to sage grouse conservation strategies, opening new opportunities for conserving travel pathways that facilitate gene flow among sage grouse ...
WLFW's Jeremy Maestas and Dirac Twidwell join the Art of Range podcast for part one of a two-part discussion of Defend the Core, a proactive management strategy defending ...
Longtime practitioners, Carol Evans and Sherman Swanson, share lessons learned on how to conserve and improve essential riparian resources for ranchers and wildlife ...
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 ...
Remote sensing technology offers a cost-efficient and spatially diverse method of analyzing vegetation trends on western rangelands, including the more than 233 million acres ...
The latest Greater Sage-Grouse Scorecard details NRCS investments and conservation milestones in sagebrush country for fiscal year 2022 and cumulatively since ...
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 ...
New research from University of Montana researchers affiliated with Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) quantifies the economic impacts of lost herbaceous production throughout ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
New research details the largest and most intact grasslands on Earth. Two of the largest are located here in the U.S. -- the Sandhills of Nebraska and the sagebrush steppe of ...
Defend the Core is an emerging, proactive strategy being used by a variety of efforts across the West to defend intact rangeland cores from threats like invasive annual ...
With two Frameworks for Conservation Action addressing the most pressing threats facing the sagebrush and Great Plains grassland biomes, 2022 promises to be a big year for ...
Historically, beavers created vast wetlands that provided critically important habitat for a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. Now, conservationists are restoring ...
Working Lands for Wildlife research is showing that annual invasive grasses are moving up in elevation and to more northern aspects throughout the Great ...
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 ...
Working Lands for Wildlife researchers and scientists have spent years researching how sage grouse use the West's mesic habitats, how best to restore those habitats, and ...
Since 2016, Working Lands for Wildlife has been trained nearly 2,000 people on low-tech mesic restoration techniques, empowering practitioners to implement riparian and wet ...
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 ...
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 ...
Learn how one producer worked with the NRCS to turn expired CRP lands into profitable grazing lands that support wildlife while producing income for the ranch and local ...
Learn about the USDA-NRCS' Working Lands for Wildlife efforts and the Great Plains Grassland Initiatives in this episode of On the Wing, a podcast from Pheasants Forever and ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
Kansas producers have new funding opportunities to help address woody plant encroachment on targeted rangelands through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural ...
How much forage have you lost to woody species? The Rangeland Analysis Platform can help quantify forage loss and pinpoint where to invest conservation funding. Join the NRCS ...
Jim Jenkins worked to remove eastern redcedar trees from his Nebraska ranch for years, with limited success. Then he learned about how prescribed fire could do the work for ...
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 ...
The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative is a Working Lands for Wildlife effort that is focused on rangeland resiliency in the southern Great Plains. Check out this new report to ...
Overview of the devastating impacts of annual invasive grasses, regional scale strategies to tackle the problem, on-the-ground examples of restoration, and introduction to a ...
Read about how volunteer-led, low-tech, process-based restoration of streams and meadows in the west is helping restore critical habitat for elk and other wildlife in this ...
Wet or mesic habitats are rare but disproportionately important habitats within western rangelands. Gully erosion and channel incision are widespread problems reducing nature ...
Mitch Faulkner, 2020 NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, talks about the partnerships that have advanced rangeland conservation across boundaries in South ...
Learn about the fascinating topography, natural history, and conservation challenges within the Great Basin, a huge swath of western rangeland in Nevada, Idaho, California, ...
Magazine Article | This article originally appeared in the March-April 2020 issue of Montana Outdoors, the magazine of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. It is reposted here with ...
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 ...
Magazine Story | Pheasants Forever's Spring 2020 Journal of Upland Conservation features how the nonprofit works with SGI and other partners to benefit a variety of grouse ...
Magazine Story | Pheasants Forever's Spring 2020 Journal of Upland Conservation features how the nonprofit works with LPCI and other partners to benefit a variety of grouse ...
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 ...
Since 2012, Working Lands for Wildlife has partnered with the Conservation Effects Assessment Project to co-produce 37 peer-reviewed studies that measure conservation ...
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 ...
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 ...
Science to Solutions | New research shows that implementing conservation practices like prescribed grazing increases songbird populations in the southern Great Plains, while ...
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 ...
The On the Wing podcast talks with WLFW's Tim Griffiths and Pheasant Forever's Ron Leathers and Michael Brown about Working Lands for Wildlife's conservation efforts that ...
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 ...
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 ...
Science to Solutions - New research details impacts to water from encroaching eastern redcedar and other conifers on landscapes in the Great Plains. Similar impacts occur on ...
Working Lands for Wildlife video presentations from the 2019 Society for Range Management Conference featuring new technologies that can help improve rangeland management in ...
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 ...
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 ...
WEBINAR | February 26, 2019 | 2 PM ET - Mapping Cross-Scale Transitions in Rangelands - Learn how the powerful Rangelands Analysis Platform can help improve rangeland ...
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 ...
Public and private partners in Nevada sign a landmark agreement that leverages funding across state, federal, and private property to accelerate sagebrush ...
RAP is a free, online tool that helps landowners and natural resource managers track vegetation through time and plan actions to improve America's grazing ...
By Tim Griffiths | Pickup trucks, working dogs, cowboy hats, and running shoes. These were the diverse sights this past Saturday at the Montana Ranch ...
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 ...
The 2018 SGI field tour and presentations focused on cooperative, science-based conservation that's working to thwart fire and invasives in sagebrush ...
Through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI), private landowners across Eastern Oregon are volunteering to perform proactive conservation treatments on their rangeland to promote ...
New research helps prioritize sage grouse conservation by ranking the importance of leks to the species' overall genetic connectivity across the range, likening certain areas ...
This webinar will discuss the benefits of altering timing of grazing to reduce annuals and maintain perennial bunchgrasses. It will also discuss the detrimental impacts of ...
Innovative Web App increases conservation effectiveness on working lands in the American West by matching the right practices to the right places using emerging science and ...
A conservation easement funded in part by the NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative will protect some of the best habitat in California for mule deer, waterfowl, migratory ...
An economics study from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon shows that the earlier ranchers treat cheatgrass, the greater their financial ...
SCIENCE TO SOLUTIONS: A new study by researchers at Kansas State University identifies specific grazing practices that create the varied grassland habitat structure that ...
Reducing cheatgrass has been a primary research topic and goal of ecological restoration for over 50 years. Our work examined published studies between 1946 and 2012 to ...
By Hayden Nelson, SGI Range Conservationist, Roundup, Montana NRCS Field Office | Landowners are partnering with the Sage Grouse Initiative to restore sagebrush habitat and ...
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 ...
Check out the latest map additions to the SGI Web App, which allow users to easily visualize songbird distribution, bolstering multi-species conservation across the American ...
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 ...
SCIENCE TO SOLUTIONS: Hot off the press! New research shows that patch-burn grazing creates the mosaic of grassland habitat structure that prairie-chickens depend on. LPCI's ...
FIELD REPORT; What does the prairie look like from a coyote's eye view, and why does that matter to lesser prairie-chickens? LPCI range conservationist Marina Osier, based in ...
Learn how NRCS has been scaling up the cooperative, science-based conservation model that's working for sagebrush wildlife to focal landscapes across ...
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 ...
NEWS: Two lightning-caused wildfires on the same site in eastern New Mexico yielded profoundly different results. Why? Prescribed fire played a key ...
This new Science to Solutions shows that grass height may not be as crucial to nesting success as previously thought, since hatched nests are measured later than failed ...
Research shows that conifers decrease the native sagebrush grasses and shrubs that wildlife and livestock rely on, and confirms that forage comes back when trees are ...
by David Frey, for The Wildlife Society | A study in Montana found livestock grazing management doesn’t have as strong a link with sage grouse nest success as previously ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: Emerging research on lesser prairie-chickens took center stage last week at the 32nd annual Prairie Grouse Technical Council meeting in Dickinson, North ...
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 ...
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 ...
LPCI NEWS: The Dust Bowl's legacy has profoundly shaped ranching and wildlife conservation in the southern Great Plains. LPCI helps ranchers like Abell keep grasslands in ...
NEWS: More than 40 agricultural producers gathered recently at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas for an LPCI workshop on managing rangelands to improve wildlife ...
NEWS: The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) has finalized permanent conservation agreements with three private landowners to conserve 3,682 acres of ...
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 ...
NEWS: New research shows that patch-burn grazing, which mimics historic patterns of fire and grazing, significantly reduces wildfire fuels. What's more, it creates the kind of ...
SGI field conservationist Mandi Hirsch shares emerging "beaver dam analogue" technology with local partners, which is paying dividends for working lands and wildlife near ...
The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has released the detailed report of the 2017 aerial survey of lesser prairie-chickens. Read all about ...
A new website, PartnersInTheSage.com, tells stories of how collaborative public-private sagebrush conservation benefits people, wildlife, and communities in the ...
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 ...
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 ...
By Ben Long in Outdoor Life | People incarcerated in state prisons in the West are working to help secure the future of the native big game and game birds of the American ...
NEWS: The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has finalized permanent conservation agreements with a private landowner to conserve high-quality lesser ...
The Farm Bill is America’s single largest source of conservation funding for private lands. The 2017 'State of the Birds' report shows the many benefits its programs have ...
NEWS: A new five-year conservation strategy details efforts to support private landowners managing for healthier forests in the Appalachian Mountains. It's part of an ongoing ...
Innovative new research on conifer removal spans the life cycle of sage grouse, helping managers increase the efficiency of future work to restore sagebrush ...
NEWS: The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has released a new video show how the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan is conserving habitat for ...
New research on conifer cutting and prescribed burning helps resource managers and landowners plan sagebrush conservation projects that deliver the best results for the bird ...
NEWS: Results are in for the 2017 lesser prairie-chicken aerial survey, and they’ve brought welcome news. The survey indicates an estimated breeding population of 33,269 ...
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 ...
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 ...
NEWS: Until recently, scientists had very little data on the bird's after-hours behavior and habitat preferences. Researchers from Oklahoma State University are filling int he ...
by Tracie Fernandez | Learn how this puffed-up male sage grouse achieved its rare (lack of) color ... and whether it might work to attract females, ...
by Hannah Ryan | This three-part video series helps ranchers and partners learn about resources available for conserving precious wet habitat in the ...
NEWS: Lesser prairie-chickens take top billing in the latest issue of The Wildlife Professional, trade journal of The Wildlife Society, an international scientific and ...
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 ...
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 ...
The roots of wildflowers on the range support a hidden world of living organisms that produce healthy soils. Nurturing these native plants creates healthier soils and keeps ...
A new study funded in part by the NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative found that survival rates of both female sage grouse and their nests increased where encroaching juniper ...
Innovative conservation easement with ranchers, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Nevada Dept. of Wildlife, and NRCS preserves agricultural working lands, wildlife habitat, and ...
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 ...
LPCI NEWS RELEASE: For wildlife biologist Randy Howard, a new mapping tool developed by lesser prairie-chicken researchers is an essential part of restoring habitat for ...
Thanks to partners like the USFWS, the outlook is brighter for maintaining intact, healthy sagebrush habitat for 350+ species and the hundreds of communities that depend on ...
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative is proud to announce a new conservation strategy that empowers private ranchers and partners to protect and enhance the wet green places ...
From the failed attempt to save heath hens from extinction, we learned the importance of early intervention...and laid the groundwork for cooperative conservation of other ...
NEWS: Eighty-five years ago today, the last living heath hen was seen for the last time. Though the effort to save the heath hen was unsuccessful, it laid the groundwork for ...
Listen to this just-released song by the River Whyless -- featuring a new instrument created in honor of the sage grouse -- which was inspired by the band's experiences in the ...
NEWS: On January 29, the Society for Range Management hosted an full-day symposium on the effects of woody encroachment on western grouse. The research presentations are now ...
Watch free 20-minute presentations featuring the latest science on how removing invading conifers boosts water availability, forage production, and grouse ...
This late rancher's early adoption of range conservation practices encouraged his neighbors to also enroll in Sage Grouse Initiative programs. Learn ...
New research shows that 86% of hens avoided nesting in sagebrush habitat invaded by conifers. Luckily, the studies also show that removing conifers in otherwise high-quality ...
NEWS: NRCS Range Management Specialist Clint Rollins works one-on-one with agricultural producers in the Texas Panhandle to develop conservation plans that benefit wildlife ...
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 ...
PRESS RELEASE: This month, the Society for Range Management's scientific journal, Rangeland Ecology & Management, released a special issue focused entirely on the ...
PRESS RELEASE: New research study quantifies the significant impacts of honey mesquite encroachment on lesser prairie-chickens in the southern Great Plains. Read more ...
The latest research -- published in this month's special issue of SRM's Rangeland Ecology & Management science journal -- shows the benefits of removing conifers for grouse, ...
by Nancy Patterson, BLM | What are wildlife to do out in the sagebrush 'Big Empty' to protect themselves from harsh winter weather conditions? Let sagebrush come to the ...
Since half of all habitat for greater sage-grouse is on public land, most of it managed by BLM, restoring public rangeland is vital for the birds to thrive. Check out these ...
Learn more about the "coproduction of actionable science." At the Sage Grouse Initiative, it means a lot of phone calls, coffee chats, field tours, and honest conversations ...
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 ...
NEWS: From the northern bobwhite to trout and salmon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is adding dozens of new target species to its Working Lands For Wildlife ...
by Michael Neary | Solar-powered water systems, installed with funding from SGI in Colorado, let livestock drink more easily and take pressure off ponds and ...
Newly expanded visual tool on the SGI Web App allows managers to better predict and mitigate negative impacts of fire and cheatgrass across sagebrush ...
Scientists tracked sage grouse nest success in southern Oregon, and found that hens avoided sites where conifer cover exceeded 3% within 800m of their ...
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 ...
by Nancy Patterson, BLM Rocky Mountain Region, via mypubliclands.tumblr.com | Greater sage-grouse, 350+ other species, and millions of people depend on the iconic sagebrush ...
New songbird maps provide tools to help expand the benefits of sage grouse conservation to more wildlife species in the sagebrush community. Learn more from our latest Science ...
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 ...
SCIENCE TO SOLUTIONS: A recent study—the first part of a multi-year research project—shows that lesser prairie-chicken occupancy increases in areas where landowners are ...
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 ...
by Jennifer Hayes and Brianna Randall | New SGI research finds five genetic subpopulations of sage grouse in Montana and the Dakotas, which are synonymous with the existing ...
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 ...
As the Sage Grouse Initiative finishes our 6th year, we are proud to be a model for how to enhance working lands and wildlife. Check out our "Tracking Success - 2016 Report" ...
NEWS: A recent study of more than 1,700 miles of livestock fences in Kansas and Colorado found little evidence of fence collision mortality. Read about the report and its ...
At a recent SGI-sponsored workshop, practitioners from around the West learned from beavers about how to heal streams and store water longer on the range. See the photos and ...
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 ...
A new report released by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies -- and funded by an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant -- is the first study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of ...
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 ...
by Rebecca Heisman,bioGraphic | When mature juniper cover reaches just 4 percent—picture taking a standard checkerboard and filling in just two and a half of the ...
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 ...
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 ...
This latest report chronicles the results from April through June across 11 western states, including collaborative efforts to conserve over 2.8 million acres of habitat for ...
by Justin Fritscher | Removing invading conifer trees improves the health of sagebrush ecosystems, providing better habitat for wildlife and better forage for livestock. And ...
Water delivery is delayed by an average of nine days in sagebrush systems compared to juniper-dominated systems. Holding water later into the summer season helps the sagebrush ...
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 ...
A new partnership between the Bureau of Land Management and the Intermountain West Joint Venture will build on the successful model pioneered by the NRCS-led Sage Grouse ...
NEWS: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) yesterday fulfilled a court ruling that had vacated its Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing decision, by officially removing ...
SGI's interactive web app now features a map layer that helps land managers prioritize where to mark high-risk fences to protect birds. This user-friendly tool allows ranchers ...
A new scientific study published in Biological Conservation explains how to reduce the threat of converting native sagebrush habitat into crops. Read how the research can be ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: When Tom Carr was a boy, redcedars were a rarity on his family's ranch lands in south-central Kansas. By the early 2000s, cedars had overtaken the ...
NEWS: The 2016 lesser prairie-chicken aerial survey shows bird population trends remain fairly stable after five years of aerial survey data collection. While numbers were ...
Last week, range managers, ecologists, and wildlife biologists gathered in Montana to learn from landowners what works for the bird and the herd. Check out the photo story ...
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 ...
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 ...
Behind all the science and strategy, a deep caring for the land underlies enduring conservation efforts within the Working Lands For Wildlife program, beautifully rendered in ...
NEWS: The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) has finalized the purchase of approximately 30,000 acres of high-quality lesser prairie-chicken habitat in ...
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 ...
The new funds announced today by Secretary Jewell will complement Sage Grouse Initiative's ongoing, cooperative work to remove conifers and restore sagebrush habitat in ...
Symposium presented at the 'Sagebrush Ecosystems Conservation: All Lands, All Hands' conference in Feb. 2016 Sponsors: Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, The ...
Thanks to hundreds of partners who help us achieve wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching, the Sage Grouse Initiative, has proven to be a model for cooperative, ...
Just like in sage grouse country, the recipe for success to save the lesser prairie-chicken (an iconic grassland bird of the southern Great Plains) is investing in proactive, ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: The USDA today announced the release of a three-year conservation strategy that will guide the voluntary restoration of 500,000 acres of habitat for the ...
"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 ...
In the West's sagebrush sea, most of the plant matter grows below your feet -- just like an upside-down forest. SGI is releasing a new poster and postcard that show the ...
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 ...
Today, the Sage Grouse Initiative is unveiling a new layer on our interactive web application that shows where the risk of cropland conversion is highest. The new "cultivation ...
By Sean Whaley | “We’re ‘all in’ to make a difference for this bird over the long term,” said Thad Heater, Sage Grouse Initiative's national coordinator, in this ...
Conifer encroachment spells bad news for birds that need intact, wide open spaces--sage grouse and lesser prairie-chickens included. This new report released by our partner, ...
A new resource released by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will help private and public land managers work collaboratively to get ahead of the curve and ...
SCIENCE TO SOLUTIONS: The science is in! A new study resoundingly confirms that redcedar encroachment greatly impacts lesser prairie-chickens. Our new Science to Solutions ...
By Jeff Ott, Anne Halford, and Nancy Shaw | This new Great Basin Fact Sheet outlines important considerations and options for post-fire seeding, including the selection of ...
By Jason Weller and Larry Selzer | This opinion article by USDA-NRCS Chief Weller and The Conservation Fund President and CEO, Larry Selzer describes how the Sage Grouse ...
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 ...
A new study and a complementary video of two hens' summer movements show that wet islands of green in the sagebrush sea provide vital foraging habitat for growing sage grouse ...
by Heather Emmons | The Progressive Rancher published the following story about the Sage Grouse Initiative's new interactive web application in its March 2016 issue. Read on ...
Today, the Sage Grouse Initiative is unveiling a new tool to catalyze and improve habitat conservation efforts across the western United States. The free SGI Interactive Web ...
by The Conservation Fund | The Conservation Fund's Wyoming Sage Grouse Campaign has conserved 15 properties in partnership with SGI and others. We are proud to partner with ...
Our team of dedicated and enthusiastic range conservationists, wildlife biologists, and natural resource specialists make a difference for landowners and for wildlife across ...
FIELD REPORT: Biting winds, deep snows, frigid temperatures--how do prairie wildlife make it through the winter? LPCI wildlife biologist Amy Erickson reports in from Portales, ...
“My neighbors have all been getting on board one by one, now that they are seeing how well it’s working,” says Oregon rancher John O’Keeffe. Read this opinion piece by ...
FIELD REPORT: LPCI wildlife biologist Amy Erickson explores the sand dunes of eastern New Mexico, where tracks in the sand reveal the presence of the many animals that live ...
The newest Science to Solutions report is based on findings from a 25-year case study on a ranch in Utah. The study shows that sustainable grazing practices and sagebrush ...
NEWS: By taking part in voluntary NRCS conservation planning and range practices, Texas ranchers are conserving vital habitat for lesser prairie-chickens, State ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: New report highlights Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative habitat conservation successes across the lesser prairie-chicken's range in the Southern Great ...
By Nicky Ouellet | This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's "Bugle" magazine, and explores how conservation efforts can benefit ...
FIELD REPORT: Roll the gray-green foliage of sand sagebrush between your fingers, and you’ll catch the spicy aroma of a plant that’s an important part of the prairie ...
By Tiffany Russell | This blog is about connecting people to talk about how wildlife and humans can thrive together. It describes a recent Ranch Conservation Tour, co-hosted ...
By Eugene W. Schupp, Chad S. Boyd, and Shane Green | This new Great Basin Fact Sheet discusses how reducing woody plant cover can increase the production of perennial grasses ...
NEWS: For third-generation farmer and rancher Steve Rader, diversity is the key to ranch sustainability. Read about how his range conservation practices are creating a ...
Frederick B. Pierson, C. Jason Williams and Peter R. Robichaud | This fact sheet provides an overview of the hydrologic impacts of fire, as well as the effectiveness of ...
By Susan E. Meyer and Thomas W. Warren | This fact sheet provides land managers with state-of-the-art information on establishing big sagebrush through direct seeding, ...
Read the latest report that tells the conservation story of the Sage Grouse Initiative's Strategic Watershed Action Team, and the impressive numbers behind their hard work in ...
By Steve Holmer | The American Bird Conservancy's blog features the Sage Grouse Initiative as a case study for how partnerships with private landowners are the key to ...
By Matthew J. Germino | Wind erosion is a problem in the Great Basin, particularly following large wildfires. This factsheet helps resource managers with a "how to" for ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: A recently published research study examines factors affecting space use by female prairie-chickens at ten sites across the Great ...
By: Douglas J. Shinneman, Anne S. Halford, Cheri Howell, Kevin D. Krasnow, and Eva K. Strand | This fact sheet provides information to help identify different aspen types, ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: Kansas rancher Dwight Abell is shifting his expired CRP grasslands to cattle grazing with LPCI assistance, a win-win proposition for his cattle operation ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: Two Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative partners receive the Hamerstrom Award for their important contributions to prairie grouse ...
By Holly Copeland. “So what is your take on the sage-grouse ruling?” This beautiful dancing bird has been in my thoughts almost daily for the past nine years, as it has ...
By Brianna Randall. Stamping my feet on the frozen ground, I waited impatiently for an elusive football-sized bird to appear in the murky pre-dawn light. A spotting scope ...
Michael Brown, a Sage Grouse Initiative range and wildlife conservationist in Washington, forged a new connection with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program to ...
LPCI PRESS RELEASE: How does the Conservation Reserve Program benefit lesser prairie-chickens and the private landowners who steward their habitat? A newly released 3-minute ...
An historic conservation partnership helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determine that the species did not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. Now in ...
A new tool is available for land managers in sagebrush country. The Sagebrush Bird Habitat Guide, created by several of our partners, provides information on breeding habitat ...
In recent years, a new appreciation is taking hold in the West about the role and benefits of sustainable ranching. The article below captures the essence of why we believe ...
Two national conservation leaders from the USDA-NRCS and the National Audubon Society co-wrote this recent editorial about how targeted, proactive conservation on agricultural ...
NEWS: James Blackwell, a third-generation Texas landowner, has participated in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since 1986, improving habitat for lesser prairie-chickens ...
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 ...
New research released as part of the Sage Grouse Initiative's Science to Solutions series shows that restoring sagebrush ecosystems not only benefits ranching and sage grouse ...
A new bi-partisan commentary came out yesterday in Roll Call by Bruce Knight and Dave White, both former chiefs for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. These two ...
This month, SGI and SWAT staff gathered together on the California-Nevada border to share notes, and learn from the unprecedented conservation efforts centered around the ...
Maintaining a resilient sagebrush steppe is job number one for sustaining sage grouse populations in the West. New tools are available to help conservationists better assess ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative has enrolled 1,129 ranchers to conserve 4.4 million acres. We plan to double those numbers by 2018 with a new investment strategy that invests ...
High Country News senior editor Jodi Peterson does an excellent job of introducing readers to the conservation history of sage grouse, and the landscape-scale collaborative ...
The Department of Defense announced more than $2 million in funding from the Military Services’ Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program to protect ...
A new video by Steve Stuebner shows how fire prevention policies and ambitious rangeland restoration strategies are working to protect prime sage grouse ...
According to a new report by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the population of the greater sage-grouse has grown by nearly two-thirds since 2013 across ...
Learn how Montana State University entomologist Hayes Goosey is studying "a mini-metropolis of arthropods" on five ranches in eastern Montana where the Sage Grouse Initiative ...
Last month, university students pursuing careers in natural resource conservation participated in a service-learning project that had big benefits for birds, the participants, ...
SGI's Strategic Watershed Action Team’s dedicated and enthusiastic range conservationists, wildlife biologists, and natural resource specialists put in place plenty of ...
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative is pioneering a conservation approach that invites cooperation over conflict across the West. This recipe for success is transferable ...
Bareroot or container seedlings can be used to quickly re-establish big sagebrush and other native shrubs post-fire or other disturbances in situations where direct seeding is ...
Successful post-fire recovery hinges on the growth of perennial understory plants, especially perennial grasses that provide livestock forage and wildlife habitat. This fact ...
This fact sheet provides a framework for using established fuel breaks for protecting sagebrush ecosystems that are prone to fire due to the invasion of nonnative annual ...
In the northeast part of sage grouse range, 70% of the best habitat is privately owned-–and the single greatest threat in this region is cultivation of native sagebrush ...
This transition from shrub steppe to woodland has broad, concerning impacts on ecosystem function and services. This fact sheet explains the "why when, where, and how" of ...
This fact sheet gives tools and strategies for reestablishing perennial-dominated plant communities in medusahead-invaded areas, which helps restore and protect vital ...
Limiting the spread of invasive medusahead is critical, since this non-native plant decreases biodiversity, degrades wildlife habitat, reduces livestock forage, increases the ...
This fact sheet is designed to assist land managers in using resilience and resistance concepts to assess risks, prioritize management activities, and select appropriate ...
NEWS: Abundant spring rainfall, along with ongoing conservation efforts, has helped increase lesser prairie-chicken populations approximately 25 percent from 2014 to 2015, ...
This story on Colorado rancher Wes McStay's conservation practices comes from "Where the sage grouse roam" by Lauren Blair. This 3-part series appeared in the Craig Daily ...
NEWS: This excellent feature story in Science Magazine describes the unprecedented, range-wide research effort aimed at understanding lesser prairie-chicken habits, needs, and ...
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 ...
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 ...
Last week, National Geographic Magazine featured an in-depth story on sage grouse, including SGI's conservation efforts centered around these dwindling upland ...
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 ...
FIELD REPORT: Filmmaker Jeremy Roberts recently visited southwest Kansas with LPCI staff to film exemplary land stewardship practices by ranchers. Read about the filming and ...
Sage grouse like the habitat around the Pokorny Ranch, and the Pokornys like the conservation improvements SGI helped them make on their Wyoming ranch. "They were the first ...
Big news today from our partner: Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust! And a big thank you to the Yust family for their generosity and gift to future ...
Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust conserves working ranch in prime sage grouse country that's excellent habitat for mule deer, moose, pronghorn, and elk as ...
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 ...
Bay Nature Magazine featured an excellent story by Eric Simons on the Bi-State sage grouse, its habitat, and how it is reshaping conservation in the U.S. SGI is proud to be ...
On the California-Nevada state line, a geographically distinct population of sage grouse once faced a precarious future. Today, that's changed. The decision by the USFWS that ...
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 ...
Capital Press article tells the story of proactive conservation underway for the sage grouse, with an emphasis on Oregon's conservation successes for the ...
This new Science to Solutions report explains how a new technique called Earth Sense Technology (EST) is a cost-effective way to assesses range conditions throughout the West, ...
FIELD REPORT: LPCI Field Staff wildlife biologist Amy Erickson reports from eastern New Mexico on the return of lesser prairie-chickens to their booming grounds, or ...
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 ...
Western Governors' Association report: Sage grouse conservation is producing historic results at local, state, regional and federal levels, with more commitments ...
Sage grouse habitat conservation protects critical habitat for mule deer, according to a study highlighted in the newest Sage Grouse Initiative Science to Solutions ...
The Natural Resources Conservation Service-led Sage Grouse Initiative is part of a major proactive conservation effort, providing pinyon-juniper removal funding to help the ...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce its final decision in April on whether the Bi-State population of sage grouse will be listed as threatened under the ...
This report shows how habitat conservation for sage grouse, considered an umbrella species, can also protect critical habitat for mule deer. Scientists found that sage grouse ...
Jason Weller, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, praised partnerships and voluntary efforts of private landowners that are critical to conservation successes ...
Sal Palazzolo, Idaho Fish & Game, earns prestigious award for Sage Grouse Initiative from Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever at today's North American Wildlife & Natural ...
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 ...
Lara Fondow enjoys working with birds and people. That's why she currently works as a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) Range and ...
SGI partner Pheasants Forever signed on with the USDA to continue important proactive conservation efforts with private landowners, including tools that restore and protect ...
California rancher Mike Byrne shares why sage grouse conservation is working in his community in a new Western Livestock Journal that features the latest Sage Grouse ...
SGI and our partners have marked or moved 590 miles of high-risk fence to reduce bird collisions so that sage grouse can thrive in the sagebrush sea. Read on to see results of ...
Sage grouse experts representing many stakeholders and partners of the Sage Grouse Initiative converged in Minden, Nevada, yesterday for a high-profile forum aimed at solving ...
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 ...
The collaborative Centennial Valley Collaborative Grazing Project in southwest Montana is a great example of how sage grouse conservation can be strategically met with ...
This webinar from NRCS Chief Jason Weller shows maps and metrics detailing the remarkable conservation success story of the Sage Grouse Initiative to ...
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 ...
The Bureau of Land Management today announced plans to remove juniper trees across 1.5 million acres of southwest Idaho in hopes of beating back a major threat to the greater ...
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 ...
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 ...
Marking fences for visibility can dramatically reduce sage grouse collisions. A new mapping tool can help managers and landowners target those fences that pose the highest ...
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 ...
Wildfires and the invasion of exotic annual grasses like cheatgrass can transform large expanses of sagebrush habitat, which is bad for sage grouse. This new strategy serves ...
Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller praised ranchers, partners and the Sage Grouse Initiative at last week's International Sage Grouse Forum in Salt Lake ...
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet recently joined the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) for a tour of three ranches in northwest Colorado. All conserve sage ...
Sage Grouse Initiative conservation easement success story: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the Pioneers Alliance of Carey, Idaho, received the ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative releases a powerful new strategy for reducing threats of wildfire and cheatgrass in sage grouse habitat in time for a major BLM conference in Idaho.
An impressive 85% of leks (sage grouse breeding areas) cluster within six miles of wet summer habitats. Successful sage grouse conservation will hinge on cooperative ...
The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) recently announced the release of its newest Conservation Insight: “Targeted Conifer Removal: A Proactive Solution to ...
Sage grouse and historic buildings both benefit from dual volunteer activities- report on National Public Lands Day from SGI Partner Bodie Hills Conservation ...
Sage Grouse Initiative partner Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust just completed another significant conservation easement, working with landowner Maggie Miller, and protecting ...
New research in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Basin shows that winter range, stopover areas and migration corridors used by mule deer overlap significantly with core sage ...
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell weathers rain and wind to see landscape-level restoration for sage grouse near Lakeview, Oregon --featuring Sage Grouse Initiative and ...
"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 ...
New sage grouse study reveals a strong link between wet sites (essential summer habitat for sage grouse to raise their broods) and sage grouse leks, and in turn, private ...
Wildfire and invasive species pose great challenges to the future of sage grouse and the sagebrush ecosystems of the West. Today, managers have new strategies to reduce the ...
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 ...
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) ...
Find out all you need to know about how to mark fences to prevent sage grouse collisions with this Frequently Asked Questions guide from the Sage Grouse ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative YouTube Channel hosts science Webinars and others of interest. Please see our newest addition: Rangewide Mapping of Scarce Wetland Resources, ...
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 ...
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 featured one of the Sage Grouse Initiative rancher success stories in its July, 2014 issue, authored by Steve Stuebner. Rancher Rob Brooks and partners ...
Field & Stream today released its Hero for a Day video featuring Montana volunteers for the Sage Grouse Initiative marking fences, removing fences, and planting sagebrush, as ...
"The Bi-State Local Area Working Group has provided the foundation upon which effective long-term sage grouse conservation can build," said Tony Wasley, director of the Nevada ...
Fire is one of the major threats to the future of sage grouse habitat, especially in the great basin. The sage grouse initiative works with the BLM and other agencies closely ...
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA’s landmark agreement to accelerate and focus conservation efforts benefitting ranchers and the Bi-State ...
This recent study by The Nature Conservancy, University of Wyoming and the Sage Grouse Initiative finds that Wyoming’s strategy, combined with targeted conservation ...
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 ...
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 ...
Story and photos about the Harney County CCAA on USFWS Pacific Region's Tumblr Page: by Paul Henson, Oregon's state supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife ...
The NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative joins the celebration today in the signing of a major conservation agreement with landowners in Harney County, called a Candidate ...
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 ...
In a continuing series of articles, Capital Press has published two more articles on the Sage Grouse Initiative from last week's Twin Falls, Idaho Meeting, featured here with ...
Last week's Sage Grouse Initiative Workshop for staff and partners in Twin Falls, Idaho, gave ranchers an opportunity to explain why they are partnering up with the Sage ...
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.
In Southeast Montana, however, the birds have persisted at sustainable levels and the ability to sustain seems to point to the fact that many traditional landowners have ...
Hundreds of thousands of acres of intact sagebrush lands--and the grouse that depend upon them--are threatened by invading conifers. SGI helps remove the threat to prevent ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative commends the impressive collaboration that's underway at federal, state and local levels to proactively address the threats to sage grouse and ...
Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie, announced a renewed and expanded partnership to provide expert habitat advice to farmers and ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) regularly joins with its partners to fund and support science that is designed to help guide conservation solutions on the ground. Today, we ...
"But when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides in 2015 whether to list the grouse as a threatened creature under the Endangered Species Act, it will be looking at the ...
March, April and early May mark the sage grouse dancing season, when males assemble at dawn every day on "leks," (open natural dance floors in the sage grouse) and put on ...
When Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) range conservationist Mandi Hirsch heads out into the sagebrush from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Lander, ...
Listen to this in-depth interview with Dr Terry Messmer on Utah Public Radio to learn about sage grouse natural history, conservation and policy with an emphasis on Utah ...
The Bureau of Land Management’s Bishop Field Office, the U.S. Forest Service’s Bridgeport District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the U.S. Department of ...
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 ...
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 ...
Science Technical Fact Sheet: Mapping Potential Ecosystem Resilience and Resistance across Sage-Grouse Range using Soil Temperature and Moisture Regimes A recent ...
More than 8,700 acres of productive ranchland in Albany County have been preserved as a result of a recent conservation easement project completed by the Wyoming Stock Growers ...
CRAIG, CO – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper today visited northwestern Colorado as part of the Secretary’s commitment to ...
For a 10-minute close-up view of the lives of southeastern Oregon cowboys, take a look at this recent Oregon Public Broadcasting video. While sage grouse are not featured ...
Protecting the habitat of the sage-grouse, an iconic Western land-dwelling bird, is becoming an increasing priority, making the work of groups such as the Burley Landscape ...
"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 ...
The fate of the cow and the sage grouse in the West are inescapably linked. The habitat needs of the grouse are the same as those of the cow. If we want to save the birds, the ...
" To date, we have a half million acres of ranches in conservation plans that are protecting sage-grouse habitat and maintaining and improving grazing systems. If we don’t ...
Reporter Jimmy Tobias headed out to remote eastern Montana near Roundup to spend time with the Lehfeldt ranch family, enrolled in Sage Grouse Initiative programs, and to track ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
The December/January issue of Field and Stream magazine recognizes Ken Miracle of Boise, Idaho as one of it “Heroes of Conservation" for his tireless volunteering on behalf ...
November may be a slower time for sage grouse activity as the birds migrate and settle in to their wintering sagebrush favorite habitats, but it's a busy month for the Sage ...
"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, ...
Where Can Sage-Grouse Live? Why good grazing practices and more state and federal land-use regulations are essential for keeping these beleaguered birds off the endangered ...
In late September, the PF national board members had their first chance to tour a ranch enrolled in the Initiative, to experience the thrill of sage grouse flushing from the ...
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 ...
"At a regional scale, the Sage Grouse Initiative, a partnership of ranchers, agencies, nonprofit groups and business interests was launched in 2010 by the Natural Resources ...
A Montana upland bird hunting story connects the joy of the field experience with the conservation needed to keep sage grouse on the landscape for future ...
Research led by The Nature Conservancy and released in mid-September validates efforts to limit the encroachment of juniper and other conifers in sagebrush habitats in order ...
Given the uncertain situation and virtually guaranteed reduced funding in the current farm bill debate, the conservation community needs win-win partnerships that use minimal ...
..a project called the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) is going full-bore to conserve the sage grouse and its habitat without imposing onerous regulations on freedom-loving ...
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 ...
“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 ...
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 ...
“This gives us confidence going forward that if we get onto this before a particular sagebrush ecosystem becomes a forest, there’s a high likelihood of keeping birds on ...
“We are pushing the accelerator as fast as we can to achieve lasting conservation results,” says Naugle. “This is an ambitious conservation science effort. But it’s ...
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, ...
Proactive conservation that removes encroaching trees helps maintain sage grouse populations within their remaining strongholds, according to a study published today in the ...
“Out on the Land,” a program of RFD TV with host Dr. Larry Butler, traveled to the Paint Rock Angus Ranch in Montana to visit with owner/operator Dennis Mercer and to ...
National Public Radio's Morning Edition featured the Sage Grouse Initiative and ranchers in Montana's Centennial Valley- aired July 10, 2013. Listen ...
Northwest Colorado is home to the best remaining ranchlands and habitat for sage grouse in the state. Today, an unprecedented number of ranchers are stepping up to put ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
“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 ...
Take a look at this short action-packed video, featuring Lorelle Berkeley, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologist working with SGI to research how well ...
Lakeview, Ore. (June 5, 2013) — In the immense Warner Mountains of southeast Oregon, an equally expansive public-private partnership to restore sage grouse habitat attracted ...
BOISE, Idaho— Among the diverse array of western habitats available to them, greater sage-grouse require sagebrush-dominated landscapes with extremely minimal levels of ...
They appear like ghosts before light: small groups of plump birds standing amongst the sagebrush. They puff up, tail feathers erect, chest extended. Large air sacs are ...
A new Sage Grouse Initiative video released this week showcases the Wyoming model for saving sage grouse, a strategy that’s spreading across the other 10 western states ...
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 ...
The Sage Grouse Initiative, launched by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2010, applies Farm Bill dollars strategically where the funding will make the ...
“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, ...
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 ...
BOZEMAN – Two teen leaders from California and Michigan along with six volunteers from Bozeman pitched in to collect plant species important to sage ...
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 ...
Have you ever been in the southern Great Plains or the high sagebrush steppe on a crisp April morning and heard mysterious cackling or bubbling sounds carried on the ...
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 ...