Photo: Noppadol Paothong
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We provide scientific reports, project profiles, technical tools, videos, photos, field guides, and links that tell the story of how cooperative conservation is making a difference for working lands and wildlife across the West.
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How can we balance sage grouse and pinyon jay conservation in sagebrush country?
May 17, 2023
Two recent papers highlight that the majority of conifer removal in sagebrush country has avoided key pinyon jay habitat and further detail how we can balance managing pinyon ...
News
Turning former cropland into green grass — and green cash
July 12, 2021
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 ...
News
Western Working Lands Snapshot | Pollinators
June 18, 2020
Learn all about pollination and pollinators in this Western Working Lands ...
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Conservation Insight Report Confirms LPCI Projects Benefit Birds and Ranchers
March 21, 2019
New Conservation Insight Report Confirms LPCI Projects Benefit Chickens and ...
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Grazed Rangelands Produce Sage Grouse Chicks’ Preferred Food
November 26, 2018
New research shows that grazing lands grow more bugs for birds to ...
News
Meet Leah Mori: Helping Ranchers Weather Wildfire Storms in Nevada’s Sagebrush Sea
August 20, 2018
This story features Leah Mori, a soil conservation technician in Winnemucca, Nevada, who is combating the twin threats of wildfire and ...
News
Range Conservation Across Continents: What Australia and America Have In Common
August 6, 2018
Field tour in Wyoming illustrates how voluntary conservation strategies working on behalf of America's sage grouse can also help Australia's ...
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New Online Tool Shows Songbird Abundance Across Sagebrush Country
January 16, 2018
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 ...
Sage Whiz Quiz
Sage Whiz Quiz | How Do Sagebrush Animals Survive Winter?
December 6, 2017
Are you a sage whiz? Test your knowledge on how animals use sagebrush range during the cold, harsh winter ...
News
What’s It Like To Photograph Sage Grouse?
October 23, 2017
Wildlife photographer, Noppadol Paothong, spent 5 years on his newly released book, Sage Grouse: Icon of the West. Learn how and why he created this beautiful book featuring ...
News
New State of the Birds Report: Farm Bill Pays Off For People & Birds
August 10, 2017
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
How Do We Find (And Protect) Precious Wet Places In The West?
May 10, 2017
Mesic areas comprise only 1-2% of the western landscape, but 80% of animals depend on them -- including sage grouse and livestock. Learn why they're important and how to ...
News
New USFWS Collaboration Expands Science Tools To Sage-Steppe
April 10, 2017
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 ...
News
Fun Fact Friday: To Migrate Or To Staycation
December 2, 2016
by Nancy Patterson, BLM | Learn which birds head south and which birds make their home on the sagebrush range during the chilly winter ...
News
New Research Finds That Sage Grouse Prefer Nesting In Conifer-Free Landscapes
November 10, 2016
Scientists tracked sage grouse nest success in southern Oregon, and found that hens avoided sites where conifer cover exceeded 3% within 800m of their ...
News
Sagebrush Songbirds Under the Sage Grouse Umbrella
October 25, 2016
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 ...
News
Report: Fence Markers Work To Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions
August 30, 2016
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 ...
News
BREAKING NEWS: BLM Signs Agreement To Expand Collaborative Sagebrush Conservation Model
July 25, 2016
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
New Easements in Montana Protect the Longest Known Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
June 30, 2016
The Nature Conservancy has secured conservation easements that preserve both the West's ranching heritage and sage-grass habitat on 25,000 acres of the Carroll Ranch. The ...
News
Conservation Integral At O’Tooles’ Ladder Ranch in Wyoming
April 19, 2016
Pat and Sharon O’Toole make their living by ranching on the sagebrush sea along the Wyoming-Colorado border. They raise sheep and cattle, sage grouse and trout, as well as ...
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Montana Outdoors Magazine | “Ranching the Best Hope for Grassland Songbirds”
March 18, 2016
by Catherine Wightman | Ranchers manage their land to sustain grass production, which benefits bovines and birds on Montana's agricultural ...
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Partnerships on the Range Continue to Accelerate Conservation
February 2, 2016
Our team of dedicated and enthusiastic range conservationists, wildlife biologists, and natural resource specialists make a difference for landowners and for wildlife across ...
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New Guide Available | Sagebrush Bird Communities in the Intermountain West
September 21, 2015
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 ...
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Ranchers and Conservationists Combine to Help Sage Grouse
September 18, 2015
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
Sagebrush Songbirds Benefit from Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration
September 9, 2015
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 ...
News
Bay Nature Article: “What People Talk About When They Talk About Sage Grouse”
April 24, 2015
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 ...
News
Idaho: SGI Range & Wildlife Conservationist Lara Fondow Enjoys Working With Birds & People
March 9, 2015
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 ...