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Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

Considered one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world

Slide The sagebrush biome once spanned several hundred million acres but now occupies less than 161 million acres in the western U.S. Slide Home to mule deer, pronghorn, sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits and more than 350 other species of conservation concern. Slide The sagebrush ecosystem continues to shrink rapidly due to a host of growing threats. Slide To help address the myriad of challenges confronting the sagebrush ecosystem, a Strategy was developed to guide future conservation efforts.

The most significant effort bringing together the science guiding the conservation of the sagebrush biome undertaken.

Sagebrush Conservation Strategy

This Sagebrush Conservation Strategy is intended to provide guidance so that the unparalleled collaborative efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) by State and Federal agencies, academia, Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and stakeholders can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on this ecosystem.

This Strategy provides the latest science pertaining to the myriad challenges confronting managers of the sagebrush ecosystem that covers portions of 14 Western states and two Canadian provinces. It was produced by a team of 94 scientists and specialists from 34 federal and state agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations.

Western U.S. Sagebrush Biome Extent
U.S. Sagebrush Biome Extent

Part I, Challenges to Sagebrush Conservation

An overview and assessment of the challenges facing land managers and landowners in conserving sagebrush ecosystems, including change agents such as invasive plants, altered fire regimes, climate, land use and development, and other challenges associated with conservation, including restoration, communication, adaptive management, and monitoring.

Part I - Importance of the Sagebrush Biome to People and Wildlife

Part II - Change Agents in the Sagebrush Biome - Extent, Impacts, and Efforts

Part III - Current Conservation Paradigm and Other Conservation Needs for Sagebrush

Sagebrush Conservation Strategy—Challenges to Sagebrush Conservation
203 views / 3239 downloads
    pdf, 111.89 MB
    March 11, 2021
Publication Details
“This report sets the stage for policymakers, managers and scientists
as they refine and develop conservation strategies.”

Report editor and USGS Fort Collins Science Center Deputy Director Steve Hanser

Part II, Conservation

Coming Soon. A report led by this same multi-agency team and to be published by the USGS later this year will outline options to help coordinate, prioritize and improve effectiveness of the actions taken by the hundreds of stakeholders engaged in sagebrush conservation as well as increase capacity for conservation in the sagebrush biome. Learn about the development of the strategy.

In the News

Date published: APRIL 15, 2021 by Wildlife Management Institute

Opportunities and Challenges in Sagebrush Conservation Documented in Series of Reports
Over the past month, a series of reports have documented challenges in the efforts to conserve sagebrush and sage grouse, as well as offered specific recommendations to address these challenges. 

Date published: MARCH 30, 2021 by GBFireScience

Join Webinar: Breaking Down the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, Part 1
WAFWA, in coordination with BLM, USFWS, USGS and the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange hosted a webinar on March 30th to introduce the content of Part I of the Strategy and answer questions.

Read More

Date published: MARCH 17, 2021 by USGS

New Report Highlights Declining Sagebrush Ecosystem, Provides Foundation for Next Generation of Conservation and Management
Considered one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world and home to mule deer, pronghorn, sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits and more than 350 other species of conservation concern, the sagebrush ecosystem continues to shrink rapidly due to a host of growing threats, according to a new scientific report.

Date published: AUGUST 17, 2020 by Wildlife Management Institute

Developing a Comprehensive Sagebrush Conservation Strategy
The WAFWA is coordinating development of a comprehensive Sagebrush Conservation Strategy. The strategy addresses the accomplishments and challenges related to conservation and restoration of the sagebrush ecosystem since the 2006 Greater Sage-Grouse Comprehensive Strategy.

Sagebrush Partnership Development Materials

To improve coordination and effectiveness of the many people working in this landscape, the WAFWA is coordinating the development of a Sagebrush Conservation Strategy to guide future conservation efforts. This is being implemented with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, state wildlife agencies and universities, and many others.

SAGEBRUSH PARTNERSHIP MODEL DEVELOPMENT FINAL MATERIALS
89 views / 390 downloads
    pdf, 11.75 MB
    December 10, 2021
Publication Details

“This package includes all documents related to the model development process, as well as additional information about the process and participants, meeting agendas and summaries, presentation slides, syntheses of online comments, and more.”

Sagebrush Partnership Model Development


As part of the development of Part II of the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, WAFWA, BLM, and USFWS have partnered with the Udall Institute, National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution, to evaluate the potential benefits of a sagebrush biome partnership model. This model would stitch together the more than 500 entities that have identified themselves as being engaged in sagebrush conservation.  Similar to other large landscape collaborative partnerships, the goal of this would be to come together to exchange ideas, build relationships, identify common interests, explore options on how to work together, and potentially share resources. There are good examples of collaborative approaches in the sagebrush biome at both local and state scales that can serve as models as this is designed. 

Date published: MARCH 10, 2021 by WAFWA

Recorded Webinar: Sagebrush Biome Partnership Governance
The unprecedented nature of the threats and the expansive extent of the sagebrush biome requires an equally unprecedented degree of public/private cooperation and coordination.

In March of 2021, WAFWA set up an online comment opportunity for stakeholders in the sagebrush biome to give their perspectives. The deadline for comments was March 24th, 2021.

Related Research

Hanser, S.E., and Wiechman, L.A., eds., 2020, U.S. Geological Survey sagebrush ecosystem research annual report for 2020: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1470, 94 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1470.

Chambers, J.C. et.al. 2017. Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions. Part 1. Science basis and applications. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-360. Fort Collins, CO: U.S Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 213 p. https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/53983

Contacts

San Stiver

Sage-Grouse Coordinator
Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Email: san.stiver@wafwa.org
Phone: 928-899-3732

Tom Remington

WAFWA Project Coordinator
Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies