Photo: Noppadol Paothong
defend the core
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.
News
Defend The Core: Fighting back against woody invaders on the Great Plains
February 24, 2025
NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife is investing in proactive ways to help livestock producers keep healthy grasslands free from woody ...
News
Defend The Core: Fighting back against rangeland invaders in sagebrush country
February 5, 2025
NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife is partnering with private landowners to defend core grazing lands from invasive annual ...
Publication Alert
WLFW Research Details How Wildfire Follows Cheatgrass In the Great Basin
September 29, 2023
WLFW research shows that 77% of invasive annual grass transition in the Great Basin occurred without fire, suggesting proactive management of invasive grasses is ...
Podcast
Podcast: Part 1 of “Defend the Core” Strategy for Invasive Plants
February 24, 2023
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 ...
Ask an Expert
Dr. Dirac Twidwell: Saving the Last Grasslands
June 27, 2022
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 ...
Publication Alert
Defend the Core: Maintaining intact rangelands by reducing vulnerability to invasive annual grasses
February 22, 2022
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 ...