The sagebrush ecosystem is one of the largest ecosystems in the continental United States and supports a myriad of important and diverse values for people and wildlife.  

By working together in this unique geography, our partnership is demonstrating how public land and other cross-boundary habitat improvements not only benefit wildlife but also maintain and benefit local and national economies for the future.

More than half of all sage grouse habitat can be found on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, making proactive conservation of public lands integral for the continued revitalization of sage grouse and other wildlife populations. These lands are vital to many people from diverse walks of life.

Key to our partnership’s shared vision and our purpose to conserve lands and wildlife are the following:

  • Functioning ecosystems resilient to changing climate

  • Strong rural communities with sustainable ranching, energy, and other economic livelihoods

  • Abundant wildlife to support hunting, fishing, and recreation opportunities

  • Sustainable water resources

  • A deep connection to the western way of life and wide-open spaces that reflects our history and diversity of culture.

Our partnership is scaling up public lands conservation using the model of successful voluntary private lands conservation efforts pioneered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service-led Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI). Multiple partners are teaming up to conserve habitat across large landscapes using science-based practices. This bolsters communities and results in healthy, working sagebrush rangelands.

We are working together to ensure this ecosystem continues to provide resources that fuel our nation, for present and future generations, and precludes the need for regulatory protections for native wildlife. State and federal agencies and other partners—including ranchers, industry, hunters and anglers, and Tribes—are working together every day and in ever-more collaborative ways for people and for wildlife.

This growing coalition is committed to successful management of wildlife on private and public lands, which is tied to retaining management flexibility for those lands and the natural resources they support.

Our work is also focused on conservation of the following priority sagebrush birds, which depend upon or are strongly associated with sagebrush habitat at landscape scales: Brewer’s Sparrow; Sagebrush Sparrow; Sage Thrasher; Pinyon Jay; Greater Sage-grouse; and, Ferruginous Hawk.

Specifically, the niche of this partnership is to focus on five areas of conservation action:

This effort offers tremendous opportunity for new and existing partners to engage and support sagebrush country. Join us!