Newly expanded visual tool on the SGI Web App allows managers to better predict and mitigate negative impacts of fire and cheatgrass across sagebrush range.

by Joshua Dillon | An Oregon field trip with SGI partners examines the ability of sagebrush landscapes to recover from a fire. Read the full story here.

The new funds announced today by Secretary Jewell will complement Sage Grouse Initiative’s ongoing, cooperative work to remove conifers and restore sagebrush habitat in western states.

A new resource released by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will help private and public land managers work collaboratively to get ahead of the curve and reduce risks from megafires using fuel breaks. Large-scale wildfires are one of the greatest threats to sage grouse and sagebrush ecosystems in the West.

By Jeff Ott, Anne Halford, and Nancy Shaw | This new Great Basin Fact Sheet outlines important considerations and options for post-fire seeding, including the selection of seed mixes and seeding equipment for restoring sagebrush communities following fire.

By Eugene W. Schupp, Chad S. Boyd, and Shane Green | This new Great Basin Fact Sheet discusses how reducing woody plant cover can increase the production of perennial grasses and forbs, improve habitat for wildlife, and reduce the intensity and severity of wildfires.

Frederick B. Pierson, C. Jason Williams and Peter R. Robichaud | This fact sheet provides an overview of the hydrologic impacts of fire, as well as the effectiveness of different types of treatments that reduce runoff and erosion post-fire.

By Stephen C. Bunting and Jeff Rose | This fact sheet helps define wildland fuels and review the approaches used to assess fuel loads in the Great Basin.

By Matthew J. Germino | Wind erosion is a problem in the Great Basin, particularly following large wildfires. This factsheet helps resource managers with a “how to” for assessing the risk of erosion, and responding to it proactively.

Maintaining a resilient sagebrush steppe is job number one for sustaining sage grouse populations in the West. New tools are available to help conservationists better assess and manage vegetation to improve ecosystem resilience before and after wildfire.