USDA Launches West-Wide Migratory Big Game Framework for Conservation Action

EFFORT FOCUSES ON TOP THREATS TO BIG GAME POPULATIONS ACROSS 17 WESTERN STATES

On June 2, USDA formally published its latest framework for conservation action and launched an ambitious effort to conserve the West's migratory big game. The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, highlighting the cooperation and collaboration between state entities that manage wildlife populations and federal agencies like the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Services Agency.

"Across the West, the future of iconic big game herds—elk, mule deer and pronghorn—depends on the health of our working lands,” said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. “Privately owned lands provide the vital seasonal habitats and connectivity required to sustain these healthy, resilient herds.” 

The Migratory Big Game Framework for Conservation Action marks the third installment in Working Lands for Wildlife’s western conservation framework portfolio. Interwoven into this framework for big game migrations are lessons learned from 15 years of WLFW implementation, along with new science and technology to inform future delivery.

The Framework outlines three key strategies: 

• Protecting Habitat and Connectivity:  Voluntary conservation easements and CRP contracts help keep working lands intact, preventing fragmentation from development and securing movement corridors for future generations.  

• Reducing Barriers to Movement:  Modernizing fences is a centerpiece of the strategy, replacing hazardous designs with wildlife-friendly alternatives and, where possible, removing fencing entirely. The Framework also highlights emerging solutions like virtual fencing, which allows producers to improve livestock management while reducing the need for traditional fencing. 

• Improving Habitat Quality:  Actions include controlling invasive annual grasses, removing encroaching conifers, restoring mesic (wet) habitats, and improving forest health to boost forage and habitat quality on summer and winter ranges. These steps strengthen rangeland resilience, reduce wildfire risk, and maintain reliable water and forage sources critical to livestock and wildlife alike.   

Spatial targeting lies at the heart of WLFW’s threat-reduction strategies, including this migratory big game effort. WLFW prioritizes proactive conservation in and around intact but vulnerable rangelands. This focuses efforts in places where they are more likely to be effective and cost efficient, rather than reactive responses in regions that are already highly degraded. 

This Framework is designed to work in tandem with existing WLFW biome-based frameworks, which provide the foundation for large-scale habitat restoration. Several core threats to big game are already extensively addressed in the WLFW frameworks for the Sagebrush and Great Plains biomes. 

Seminar Replay

WATCH WLFW'S CONIFER ENCROACHMENT SEMINAR

Did you miss our Science to Solutions: For Western Working Lands Seminar on conifer encroachment? No problem!

You can watch it, and all of our future seminars, on demand. Just follow the link below. 

Ask the Expert

FARMERS.GOV POST DIVES INTO CONIFER ENCROACHMENT IN SAGEBRUSH RANGELANDS

WLFW's sagebrush biome technology transfer specialist, Derek Tilley, shares the latest tools and resources for successful conifer management in sagebrush rangelands in this great Ask the Expert post on Farmers.gov.

Survey Says: Americans Want to Protect Grasslands 

A NEW SURVEY SHOWS THAT 47% OF AMERICANS DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT GRASSLANDS BUT WANT TO CONSERVE THEM AFTER LEARNING MORE

Last week was National Grasslands Week, making it a good time to reflect on how valuable grasslands are for people, livestock, and wildlife.

Grasslands cover nearly one million acres of the U.S., stretching from coast to coast. America's last great grasslands support wildlife and power rural economies.  Healthy and resilient working grasslands filter our water. They feed our livestock. They store carbon underground. They support migratory big game, songbirds, and recreation opportunities.

Yet 47% of Americans know almost nothing about them.

In a new national survey released by the America’s Grasslands Coalition, 47% of respondents were unfamiliar with grasslands. However, once respondents learned a little more about this imperiled ecosystem, 71% said they would be likely to support grassland conservation efforts.

The message from the survey is clear: building public awareness is the key to conserving our grasslands. When Americans learn about grasslands, they value them. And when they value grasslands, they are more likely to protect them.

Often Overlooked

CELEBRATE GRASSLANDS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW LANDOWNERS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS ENCROACHING TREES

A new video produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with support from WLFW and Pheasants Forever, highlights one of the biggest threats facing America's grasslands: encroaching trees. 

When trees move into grasslands, they push out wildlife, reduce forage for livestock, and elevate wildfire risk.

Fortunately, landowners across the Great Plains are partnering with each other and state and federal agencies to use prescribed fire to help manage encroaching trees and restore grassland productivity. 

USDA Investing $310 Million Through RCPP 

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 24

The USDA is putting farmers first by investing up to $310 million to expand producer conservation activities across the nation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, or RCPP.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting RCPP project proposals now through August 24, 2026, to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners boost their operations and conserve natural resources. 

RCPP is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land.   

USDA Opens State-of-the-Art Livestock Insects Research Laboratory to Combat Livestock Pests

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) opened the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, a state-of-the-art laboratory facility today that will provide the U.S. cattle industry with innovative tools and advanced technologies to manage and eliminate the invasive fly and tick pests that threaten the U.S. cattle industry.

Reciprocity on the range: Removing barriers for sagebrush birds

Check out this cool story about how removing legacy fencing in Colorado to benefit pronghorn also benefits the Gunnison sage-grouse. Fence removal, whether for migratory big game or sage grouse is a key strategy for conserving the West's iconic species.

Visit These Prairies for Grassland Birds and a Glimpse of the Past

This great post from Audubon highlights some of the best opportunities for visiting prairies in the country. From the 600,000-acre American Prairie Reserve in Montana to the 4,000-acre Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois, these prairies are big enough to make you feel small. 

The Working Lands for Wildlife partnership supports the USDA-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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