Wildlife Conservation Through Sustainable Ranching
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Introducing The Conifer Encroachment Education Project
NEW WEBSITE PROVIDES EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR SAGEBRUSH COUNTRY
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The USDA-NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife and the Intermountain West Joint Venture are proud to announce the launch of ConiferEncroachment.com—a new educational website designed to empower land managers with proven strategies to tackle one of the most pressing threats to sagebrush rangelands: conifer encroachment.
Driven by the latest science and shaped by on-the-ground experience, the Conifer Encroachment Education Project provides practical, management-focused resources to help land managers defend and restore core sagebrush areas.
According to the Sagebrush Conservation Design, conifer encroachment is the second-leading cause of sagebrush loss across the American West, where each year 350,000 acres of high-quality sagebrush range are overtaken by encroaching trees like pinyon pine, juniper, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine.
The new site offers:
- Clear explanations of what conifer encroachment is and where it’s happening.
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Insights into how it affects both people and wildlife.
- Science-based solutions for reducing conifer encroachment.
- Eye-catching visuals and maps to support planning and communication.
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Curated resources for designing and implementing effective treatments.
- Guidance on balancing sagebrush restoration with conservation of historic woodlands.
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Grassland CRP Enrollment Open
DEADLINE FOR THIS POPULAR CONSERVATION PROGRAM: AUG.8
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Grassland CRP, offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices.
Grassland CRP emphasizes support for grazing operations, plant and animal biodiversity, and grasslands and shrublands under threat of conversion.
Landowners and producers interested in Grassland CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or apply for the program before the August 8 deadline.
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NRCS Chief Visits Kansas Ranch
BETTENCOURT VISITS THE MUSHRUSH RANCH TO TALK WOODY ENCROACHMENT AND GREAT PLAINS GRASSLAND INITIATIVE
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In central Kansas, local ranchers Daniel and Chris Mushrush have used NRCS's financial and technical resources to push back against woody encroachment, which is a growing threat to the rolling green prairies of the Flint Hills.
The Mushrush brothers met with NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt to discuss how the agency’s Great Plains Grassland Initiative (GPGI) and other resources have helped them combat woody encroachment and implement rotational grazing on their multi-generational ranch in Chase County, Kansas.
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Science to Solutions: Brewer's Sparrows Rely on Conifer Removal
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NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BREWER'S SPARROWS CHICKS ARE MORE LIKELY TO SURVIVE IN PLACES WHERE TREES HAVE BEEN REMOVED
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We know that sage grouse avoid nesting in areas where trees have taken over sagebrush rangelands. Research shows that encroaching trees are bad for songbird nests, too.
From 2019-2022, researchers monitored eight species of songbirds on eight square kilometers of sagebrush grazing lands in southwest Montana. The research took place in a valley where Douglas fir have encroached and replaced some sagebrush shrubs. Half of the plots were located where trees had been removed to restore sagebrush habitat, and the other half of the plots were in places where trees were left on the landscape.
Overall, this research found that the sagebrush-reliant songbirds were more abundant where trees were removed.
Specifically, results show that tree invasion can cause a 30% decline in the population size of Brewer’s sparrows. The birds avoid nesting near trees, so fewer adults can use the habitat as Douglas firs encroach. Zarri also found that the odds of nest failure increased if the nest was within 30 meters of a tree. This is likely because animals that live near or in trees are eating the sparrow’s eggs or chicks.
Looking to the future, models showed that the Brewer’s sparrow population will decline by another 60% in the next 30 years if no action is taken to prevent trees from taking over sagebrush habitat. However, when trees are removed to defend core sagebrush areas, the songbird’s population stays nearly steady into the future. Even though some trees will fill in along the edges, Brewer’s sparrows will produce more fledglings because nests are less likely to be near a tree.
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Report: Bi-State Sage Grouse Action Plan
PARTNERS ISSUE REPORT SUMMARIZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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In 2012, partners, including the USDA-NRCS released an action plan for the Bi-State sage grouse, a distinct population segment found on the border of California and Nevada.
A new report summarizes the group's accomplishments over the past 12 years. It will inform an upcoming action plan to continue sagebrush conservation efforts in the region.
The USDA-NRCS has long been a partner in this effort, specifically helping with financial and technical assistance for key conservation easements that protect core sagebrush habitat in the Bi-State area.
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| Great Basin Fire Probability Map 2025
CHECK OUT THIS YEAR'S DATA-DRIVEN FIRE PROBABILITY
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Each spring, Working Lands for Wildlife researchers at the University of Montana use satellite-based data to model fire probability across the Great Basin.
The tool isn't intended to predict when and where a fire might occur. Rather, it analyzes the growth of fine fuels (like grasses) to predict the probability that a fire might break out if there's an ignition. This information helps fire and range managers throughout the region plan for wildfire season.
With the summer midway through, it's a great time to revisit the fire probability maps.
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This great story from WyoFile provides a fun glimpse into a volunteer event in Wyoming where folks from across sagebrush range gathered to build "Zeedyk" structures on precious wet meadow habitat. What's a Zeedyk structure and how do they help sagebrush habitat? Read the story to find out!
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Are you a scientist? Do you want to learn how to make your research more impactful to the people who can use it? Join the Intermountain West Joint Venture's virtual workshop that introduces the Technical Transfer Framework to scientists. Learn how to best communicate your research, increase the use of your tools or products, and support land managers in integrating science into their work. Register here.
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This great post from Farmers.gov features working lands in South Florida. It highlights how the NRCS works with producers across the country to implement conservation practices that benefit their agricultural operations as well as wildlife that depends on grazing lands. It's worth a read!
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Working Lands for Wildlife is the Natural Resources Conservation Service's premier approach for conserving America's working lands to benefit people, wildlife, and rural communities. In the West, WLFW is guided by two, action-based frameworks for conservation. The framework approach is designed to increase conservation and restoration of rangelands by addressing major threats to rangeland health and through the implementation of conservation measures that limit soil disturbance, support sustainable grazing management, promote the strategic use of prescribed fire, and support native grassland species. Together, the frameworks leverage the power of voluntary, win-win conservation solutions to benefit people and wildlife from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.
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