Sagebrush Ecosystem Team

Sagebrush Ecosystem Team
Name	Sagebrush Ecosystem Team
Formation	2004
Type	Interagency working group
Headquarters	United States (regional)
Region served	Western United States
Parent organization	Interagency policy coordination

Sagebrush Ecosystem Team

The Sagebrush Ecosystem Team is an interagency collaboration addressing conservation of Sagebrush-dominated landscapes across the western United States. It brings together federal agencies, state wildlife agencies, tribal governments, and nongovernmental organizations to coordinate policy, science, and management for species and habitats associated with sagebrush steppe. The Team interfaces with land management frameworks originating from agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service.

Overview

The Team functions as a coordinated planning and technical advisory body linking regional offices of the Bureau of Land Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, National Park Service, and state agencies including Nevada Department of Wildlife, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Membership often includes representatives from tribal nations such as the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and conservation NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Sage Grouse Initiative. The Team aligns efforts with statutes and policies including the Endangered Species Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and planning documents from State Wildlife Action Plans.

History and Formation

The Team was created in the context of heightened attention to declining populations of the Greater sage-grouse following petitions and litigation involving entities such as the Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Early 2000s stakeholders included federal offices in Washington, D.C., regional headquarters for the BLM Wyoming State Office, and research partners from institutions like the University of Wyoming, University of Idaho, and Utah State University. High-profile events shaping formation included regional planning efforts linked to the Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy and administrative actions under administrations of presidents such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Mission and Objectives

The Team’s mission centers on conserving sagebrush habitats and associated species such as the Greater sage-grouse, Sage thrasher, and arthropod assemblages important to rangeland resilience. Objectives emphasize science-based habitat management, reducing threats from invasive species like cheatgrass and tamarisk vectors, addressing wildfire regimes influenced by agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and coordinating restoration consistent with guidance from the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy and regional conservation plans endorsed by governors' offices such as the Nevada Governor's Office.

Organizational Structure and Governance

The Team operates as an interagency working group with co-chairs representing major federal partners including the Bureau of Land Management and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Governance relies on memoranda of understanding with state partners such as the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and tribal governance bodies like the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation. Technical subcommittees draw experts from research centers including the U.S. Geological Survey, academic units at the University of Montana, and nonprofit science programs such as the Conservation Biology Institute.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs administered or coordinated by the Team include habitat assessment mapping consistent with standards used by the National Vegetation Classification, collaborative restoration projects funded through mechanisms like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Conservation Reserve Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Initiatives encompass implementation of grazing management trials with county extension services such as University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, wildfire risk reduction with the National Interagency Fire Center, and invasive species control in coordination with the Nature Conservancy's Conservation Action Plans and regional fisheries and wildlife commissions.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Team’s partnerships span federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for climate data, the Department of the Interior, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service; state agencies like the Colorado Parks and Wildlife; tribal nations such as the Ute Indian Tribe; NGOs including Sierra Club and Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory; and academic partners like Colorado State University. Collaborative funding and oversight have involved philanthropic partners such as the Rockefeller Family Fund and programmatic alignment with initiatives like the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.

Impact and Conservation Outcomes

Reported outcomes attributed to coordinated Team efforts include mapped and prioritized conservation areas influencing decisions by the Bureau of Land Management and state governors, reductions in invasive species cover on targeted parcels through treatments coordinated with the National Invasive Species Council, and improved habitat conditions for priority species monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey and state wildlife agencies. The Team’s work has informed litigation and listing determinations under the Endangered Species Act involving stakeholders such as the Center for Biological Diversity and has contributed to regional strategies adopted by governors’ offices and federal regional administrators.

Category:Conservation organizations Category:Sagebrush steppe