Photo: Noppadol Paothong
Montana
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.
Podcast
Podcast: Ranchers Stewardship Alliance – Martin Townsend and David Naugle
December 10, 2024
WLFW's David Naugle and Ranchers Stewardship Alliance's Martin Townsend talk conservation easements with Live Under the Big ...
News
Podcast: Conservation Programs with Tom Watson and Tim Griffiths
November 15, 2024
Tune in to this super informative podcast featuring the NRCS's Tom Watson and Tim Griffiths to learn all about how NRCS works with ...
Featured Rancher
Montana Sheep Grower Explores Value-Added Options for Livestock
November 5, 2024
Learn how sheep and cattle rancher, Ben Lehfeldt, is working with the NRCS to make his operation more profitable and better for ...
News
USDA, USFWS, State Partners Find Non-Lethal Answers to Grizzly Bear Interactions on Montana Ranches
June 20, 2024
Montana ranchers and partners are working to keep grizzly bears, people, and livestock safe on working ...
Ask an Expert
Songbird field study backs win-win results of “umbrella species” habitat management
May 23, 2024
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 ...
Ask an Expert
NRCS and Partners Work Together to Help Families Keep Their Land Green-Side Up
December 13, 2023
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 ...
News
Migratory Big Game Conservation Highlights the Best of West
December 8, 2023
Learn more about the USDA's Migratory Big Game Initiative and how WLFW is helping lead this broad effort in Wyoming, Montana, and ...
Ask an Expert
New Science Backs WLFW’s Biome-Wide Conservation Approach
November 6, 2023
Research shows that WLFW's updated approach to conserving intact working landscapes produces better conservation results than focusing on a single ...
News
Creating Jobs Through Conservation in Southwest Montana
March 22, 2022
In southwest Montana, a creative partnership is improving sagebrush habitat, providing jobs, and empowering youth, one project at a ...
News
The Value of Keeping it in Grass
May 26, 2021
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 ...
News
Montana Outdoors Magazine Article | The Herd and the Bird
March 20, 2020
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 ...
News
Conversation with Rangeland Management Specialist of the Year, Rebecca Knapp
April 24, 2019
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 ...
News
Partnering To Conserve A Sagebrush Landscape
October 24, 2018
Innovative partnerships with private landowners and public land managers on working rangelands in Southwest Montana are conserving sagebrush ...
News
Running The Ranch
August 30, 2018
By Tim Griffiths | Pickup trucks, working dogs, cowboy hats, and running shoes. These were the diverse sights this past Saturday at the Montana Ranch ...
News
#ConservationRoadtrip | Taking No-Till To The Next Level
July 30, 2018
With help from NRCS, Montana rancher returns cropland to permanent grasses and forbs to provide forage for livestock and sage ...
News
High School Students Help Restore Montana Sagebrush
July 12, 2018
Partners come together -- including youth field crews -- to improve working lands for wildlife in southwest ...
News
Montana Ranchers Improve Sage Grouse Habitat And Reduce Fire Risk
February 8, 2018
By Hayden Nelson, SGI Range Conservationist, Roundup, Montana NRCS Field Office | Landowners are partnering with the Sage Grouse Initiative to restore sagebrush habitat and ...
News
The Conservation Gift That Benefits Us For Countless Years to Come
January 4, 2018
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 ...
News
Journal Of Wildlife Management Study: Grazing Shows Little Effect On Grouse Nesting
October 31, 2017
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 ...
News
Ranch Conservation Partnership Thrives In Eastern Montana
August 7, 2017
by Leo Barthelmess | Ranchers working with the NRCS and others are helping sustain and improve habitat in a way that also improves ranch ...
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
Operation Sage-Grouse: NWF Connects Youth and Conservation
March 13, 2017
Check out this video from the National Wildlife Federation on win-win partnerships that are making the skies safer for sage grouse through fence ...
News
Guzzling Water & Planting Sagebrush | What’s Happening For Sage Grouse On Public Land In Montana
December 20, 2016
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 ...
News
Tag, you’re it! How do researchers track sage grouse chicks?
November 7, 2016
Meet expert Mark Szczypinski with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. He tells us all about how to track sage grouse hens and their ...
News
“It’s About Working Lands For Agriculture And Working Lands For Wildlife”
August 16, 2016
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 ...
News
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 ...
News
Landowners Create Legacy Of Open Land Across The West
November 2, 2015
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 ...
News
Saving Sage Grouse | Conserving Montana’s Largest Game Bird
October 5, 2015
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 ...
News
Collaborative Partnerships Yield Big Gains in Montana’s Centennial Valley
February 19, 2015
The collaborative Centennial Valley Collaborative Grazing Project in southwest Montana is a great example of how sage grouse conservation can be strategically met with ...
News
Conservation Easements in Montana Improve Sage-Grouse Migration
February 13, 2015
Recent conservation easements in Montana help maintain the sage-grouse's longest-known migration corridor between the U.S. and ...