Sagebrush Conservation | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands.

Sagebrush country contains biological, cultural and economic resources of national significance. America’s sagebrush ecosystem is the largest contiguous ecotype in the continental United States, comprising one-third of the land mass of the continental lower 48. This landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

What We Do

Our Projects and Initiatives

For many years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has been conducting research, collaborating with partners, and supporting a landscape-wide conservation strategy to support a healthy sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

Learn more about sagebrush ecosystem in the west.

Starting in FY22, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has committed $10 million per year ($50 million over 5 years) to the Service to expand work with partners to restore and conserve strategic areas within the sagebrush ecosystem. These funds build on existing collaborative efforts by the Service and our public and private partners to conserve the sagebrush ecosystem and the significant biological, cultural, and economic resources it supports. These projects will combat invasive grasses and wildfire, reduce encroaching conifers, safeguard precious water resources for neighboring communities and wildlife, and promote community and economic sustainability. Read more about the Director's Priorities and BIL initiative: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funds Proven Projects for Wildlife

Find a Sagebrush Restoration Project Near You

Explore the Data Dashboard for FY22 and FY23 Projects

Screenshot of Sagebrush Dashboard landing page, with map outlining sagebrush biome

Image Details

Grassy field with river meandering through with title written over image

Image Details

The Grassland & Sagebrush Conservation Portal is an ArcGIS Online platform that provides access to maps, apps, data, documents, and other resources for practitioners working in grassland and sagebrush biomes.

More About What We Do

Latest Stories and Topics

Stories

two people walking towards sunset through sagebrush landscape

Working Lands

Conserving the Ocean of Grass and Sage

In Montana, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expanding the scale of conservation to whole landscapes. The following story was written by partners at the Intermountain West Joint Venture and the original version is available on Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands.

May 15, 2023

A pile of brush in a dry streambed can be seen with 8 wooden stakes in the middle of the pile

Our Partners

BIL Funding Restores Mesic Habitat in Idaho

“Investing in the maintenance of the waterways that create mesic habitats will provide long-term benefits for sage-grouse during the brood-rearing season, in addition to other sagebrush obligate species and livestock.”

Mar 30, 2023

Wildlife Wonders

Swipe Sagebrush

Welcome to sagebrush country, where the locals are looking for love. They've got their profiles uploaded, but are they ready to match? Over 350 species rely on sagebrush for food and shelter across 11 western states. This story highlights some of those species and is part of a collaborative social...

Mar 27, 2023

pronghorn in a field of sagebrush against a snowy mountain backdrop

Habitat Restoration

Wind River Restoration

Though Wyoming currently has less cheatgrass than many other states in the sagebrush biome, this and other aggressive invasive annual grasses are slowly gaining a foothold in the area and threatening the health and function of sagebrush habitat. However, thanks to recent funding from the Bipartisan...

Feb 16, 2023

Land Management

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Provides $10 Million to Sagebrush Projects in the West

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $10 million in fiscal year 2023 funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support over 50 projects in western states to restore and conserve strategic areas within the sagebrush ecosystem.

Nov 16, 2022

Land Management

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Provides $10M to Sagebrush Projects in the West

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was appropriated $10 million per year for five years, to expand work with partners to conserve the sagebrush ecosystem.

Nov 16, 2022

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Work With Us

We work alongside other agencies, partners, non-profits, Tribes, landowners, programs, and the public to strategize, fund, and collaborate on sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

Learn more about sagebrush conservation. Individual state fish and wildlife agencies have been, and continue to be, central to the implementation of work in sagebrush.

The Sagebrush Ecosystem is one of several programs that is receiving investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that helps local, state, and Tribal communities tackle the climate crisis and environmental restoration needs while advancing environmental justice, creating jobs, and boosting local economies.

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Projects and Research

Sagebrush ecosystem projects with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Project Name	Location	FY22 Funding	FY23 Funding
Addressing Invasive Annual Grass in Sage-Grouse Core Areas in Idaho	ID	492,000	328,000
Idaho Mesic Rangeland Resources Enhancement: A Statewide Strategy to Increase the Pace and Scale of Delivery	ID	120,000	80,000
Idaho Conifer Treatments; Increasing the Pace and Scale of Regional Landscape Strategies	ID	144,000	96,000
Upper Snake Sagebrush Steppe Enhancement	ID	183,148	156,852
Southeast Idaho Sagebrush Steppe Enhancement	ID	52,131	N/A
Oregon Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances Initiative to Protect and Enhance Sagebrush Ecosystems on Private Lands	OR	250,000	250,000
Assessing, Protecting, and Restoring Mesic Habitats in the Pueblo and Trout Creek Mountains	OR	360,000	N/A
Southeastern Oregon Collaboration to Address Primary Threats to Sagebrush Landscapes	OR	119,200	119,200
Barbwire Juniper Removal Project	OR	120,039	120,039
Burns-Paiute Tribe Jonsboro Upland Native Plant Restoration	OR	56,142	N/A
Completing Removal of Encroaching Juniper from the Lower Guano Creek Area on Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge	OR	114,000	143,858
Survey of Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and DNA Barcoding of Sagebrush Biome Wild Bees in Southeast Oregon	OR	N/A	57,000
Easement Support for Sage Grouse Habitat Protection	WA	186,000	N/A
Process-Based Stream Restoration in Smith Draw	WA	31,515	N/A
Moses Coulee Post-Fire Sage-Steppe Restoration: Phase II	WA	183,323	N/A
Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit Recovery	WA	N/A	209,100
Post-Fire Restoration of Stream and Riparian Habitat Condition on East Foster Creek Douglas County, Washington	WA	N/A	100,000
Washington Shrub-steppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative: Defining Shared Spatial Priorities	WA	175,000	N/A
Shrub-Steppe Restoration for Fire and Climate Resilience on Hanford Reach National Monument	WA	N/A	93,786
Restoration of Native Sagebrush Habitats from Cheatgrass Invasion in Northwestern Colorado (Phase 1)	CO	230,926	230,926
Gunnison Basin Cheatgrass Implementation Project	CO	398,139	395,337
Gunnison Sage-grouse Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET)	CO	N/A	188,726
Conway Ranch Wet Meadow Enhancement Project	CA	N/A	82,000
Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration through Wild Horse Management	CA	N/A	150,000
Bi-State Sagebrush Ecosystem Enhancement Project	CA	N/A	250,000
SW Montana Sage Steppe Resiliency Project	MT	437,185	468,508
Maintaining Sagebrush Cores in Montana’s Northern Great Plains	MT	309,218	431,504
Addressing Threats to Sagebrush in Montana’s Musselshell Plains	MT	120,263	97,977
Assessing Traditional and Emerging Grazing Strategies for Creating a Mosaic of Diverse Habitat Patches for Sagebrush Associated Birds	MT	119,682	100,318
Pre- and Post- Treatment Impacts of Japanese Brome Treatment on Pollinators in Sagebrush Rangeland	MT	N/A	70,000
Utah: Climate Resilience Projects for Mesic Habitat Restoration and Enhancements	UT	475,453	232,398
Utah: Conifer Treatment Projects for Upland Habitat Restoration and Enhancements	UT	461,271	250,000
Wyoming Collaborative Sage-Steppe Mesic Habitat Restoration	WY	250,000	370,000
Wyoming Invasive Annual Grass Management Collaborative	WY	750,000	630,000
Developing Spring Reclamation Plans for Developed and Altered Springs and Associated Spring Brooks and Meadows in Completed Juniper Control Areas on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge	NV	20,000	41,000
Improving Climate Resilience of Sagebrush Ecosystem Communities in the Great Basin	NV	887,832	503,786
Santa Rosa Paradise Priority Landscape Restoration Project	NV	N/A	25,000
Northeastern Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Enhancement Project	NV	N/A	220,000
Increasing the Availability of Dry Ecotype Native Seeds and Plant Materials for the Great Basin (Nevada Seed Strategy Actions)	NV	N/A	262,790
Kelly Creek Conifer Thinning - Phase I	NV	7,660	N/A
Home Ranch Water Distribution - Phase II	NV	51,166	N/A
Humboldt Ranch Sagebrush and Riparian Enhancement Project	NV	91,162	N/A
Summit Lake Sagebrush Spring(s) into Action	NV	70,000	N/A
Vya Conservation District Sagebrush and Wet Meadow Enhancements Phase I	NV	100,000	N/A
Fourmile Creek Wet Meadow Enhancement Project	NV	38,050	N/A
Cottonwood Ranch Meadow Enhancement Project	NV	25,000	N/A
O'Neil Basin Meadow Enhancement Project	NV	N/A	175,000
Effect of Conifer Treatments and Landscape Management on Sagebrush Obligate Songbirds and Pinyon Jays in the Great Basin	NV	100,000	252,500
Impacts of Mining Exploration and Development on Sagebrush Ecosystems and Wildlife: A Pilot Study	NV	50,000	50,000
Invasive Annual Grass Tech Transfer Partnership: Empowering Land Managers to Defend and Grow Sagebrush Cores	Rangewide	200,000	100,000
Assessing the Future Sagebrush Core Habitats: Impacts of Climate & Climate Uncertainty, Wildfire and Invasive Species	Rangewide	110,000	113,548
Incorporating Connectivity and Wildland Fire Risk into the WAFWA Sagebrush Conservation Design	Rangewide	150,000	N/A
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Conservation Actions for Greater Sage-Grouse using Hierarchical Models and the Conservation Efforts Database	Rangewide	150,000	150,000
Sagebrush Biome Invasive Annual Grass Economic Assessment	Rangewide	N/A	100,000
Geospatial analyses, species modeling, and interactive web application development to support sagebrush biome assessment and inform conservation delivery	Rangewide	N/A	99,995
Understanding Greater Sage-Grouse Population Trends from the Lens of the WAFWA Conservation Design Strategy: Implications for Management of Impacted, Core, and Growth Opportunity Areas within the Sagebrush Biome	Rangewide	75,000	75,000
Planning for Conservation Delivery Success: Linking Biome-wide Sagebrush Conservation Design to Local Treatment Planning by Leveraging Landscape Restoration Outcomes	Rangewide	115,000	N/A

Remaining funding was allocated for capacity building efforts across sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.

Learn more about sagebrush country for new or existing staff positions to bolster partnerships and aid the delivery of on-the-ground conservation projects.

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