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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.

How can we balance sage grouse and pinyon jay conservation in sagebrush country?
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How can we balance sage grouse and pinyon jay conservation in sagebrush country?

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 ...
Turning former cropland into green grass — and green cash
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Turning former cropland into green grass — and green cash

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 ...
Western Working Lands Snapshot | Pollinators
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Western Working Lands Snapshot | Pollinators

Learn all about pollination and pollinators in this Western Working Lands ...
Conservation Insight Report Confirms LPCI Projects Benefit Birds and Ranchers
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Conservation Insight Report Confirms LPCI Projects Benefit Birds and Ranchers

New Conservation Insight Report Confirms LPCI Projects Benefit Chickens and ...
Grazed Rangelands Produce Sage Grouse Chicks’ Preferred Food
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Grazed Rangelands Produce Sage Grouse Chicks’ Preferred Food

New research shows that grazing lands grow more bugs for birds to ...
Meet Leah Mori: Helping Ranchers Weather Wildfire Storms in Nevada’s Sagebrush Sea
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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 ...
Range Conservation Across Continents: What Australia and America Have In Common
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Range Conservation Across Continents: What Australia and America Have In Common

Field tour in Wyoming illustrates how voluntary conservation strategies working on behalf of America's sage grouse can also help Australia's ...
New Online Tool Shows Songbird Abundance Across Sagebrush Country
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New Online Tool Shows Songbird Abundance Across Sagebrush Country

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 | How Do Sagebrush Animals Survive Winter?
Sage Whiz Quiz

Sage Whiz Quiz | How Do Sagebrush Animals Survive Winter?

Are you a sage whiz? Test your knowledge on how animals use sagebrush range during the cold, harsh winter ...
What’s It Like To Photograph Sage Grouse?
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What’s It Like To Photograph Sage Grouse?

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 ...
New State of the Birds Report: Farm Bill Pays Off For People & Birds
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New State of the Birds Report: Farm Bill Pays Off For People & Birds

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 ...
How Do We Find (And Protect) Precious Wet Places In The West?
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How Do We Find (And Protect) Precious Wet Places In The West?

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 ...
New USFWS Collaboration Expands Science Tools To Sage-Steppe
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New USFWS Collaboration Expands Science Tools To Sage-Steppe

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 ...
Fun Fact Friday: To Migrate Or To Staycation
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Fun Fact Friday: To Migrate Or To Staycation

by Nancy Patterson, BLM | Learn which birds head south and which birds make their home on the sagebrush range during the chilly winter ...
New Research Finds That Sage Grouse Prefer Nesting In Conifer-Free Landscapes
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New Research Finds That Sage Grouse Prefer Nesting In Conifer-Free Landscapes

Scientists tracked sage grouse nest success in southern Oregon, and found that hens avoided sites where conifer cover exceeded 3% within 800m of their ...
Sagebrush Songbirds Under the Sage Grouse Umbrella
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Sagebrush Songbirds Under the Sage Grouse Umbrella

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 ...
Report: Fence Markers Work To Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions
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Report: Fence Markers Work To Prevent Sage Grouse Collisions

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 ...
BREAKING NEWS: BLM Signs Agreement To Expand Collaborative Sagebrush Conservation Model
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BREAKING NEWS: BLM Signs Agreement To Expand Collaborative Sagebrush Conservation Model

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 ...
New Easements in Montana Protect the Longest Known Sage Grouse Migration Corridor
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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 ...
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 ...
Montana Outdoors Magazine | “Ranching the Best Hope for Grassland Songbirds”
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Montana Outdoors Magazine | “Ranching the Best Hope for Grassland Songbirds”

by Catherine Wightman | Ranchers manage their land to sustain grass production, which benefits bovines and birds on Montana's agricultural ...
Partnerships on the Range Continue to Accelerate Conservation
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Partnerships on the Range Continue to Accelerate Conservation

Our team of dedicated and enthusiastic range conservationists, wildlife biologists, and natural resource specialists make a difference for landowners and for wildlife across ...
New Guide Available | Sagebrush Bird Communities in the Intermountain West
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New Guide Available | Sagebrush Bird Communities in the Intermountain West

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 ...
Ranchers and Conservationists Combine to Help Sage Grouse
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Ranchers and Conservationists Combine to Help Sage Grouse

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 ...
Sagebrush Songbirds Benefit from Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration
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Sagebrush Songbirds Benefit from Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration

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 ...
Bay Nature Article: “What People Talk About When They Talk About Sage Grouse”
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Bay Nature Article: “What People Talk About When They Talk About Sage Grouse”

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 ...
Idaho: SGI Range & Wildlife Conservationist Lara Fondow Enjoys Working With Birds & People
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Idaho: SGI Range & Wildlife Conservationist Lara Fondow Enjoys Working With Birds & People

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 ...