Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Working together to create a healthy and balanced future for the West’s largest ecosystem

Greater Sage-Grouse. Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies

More than 350 species depend on the sagebrush ecosystem, as well as people. Reaching 14 states, sagebrush country is vital bird habitat, but only half of it is left and new demands continue to be placed on it. Audubon’s Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative brings together citizens, industry, government, and NGOs to find pragmatic solutions that balance the needs of people and birds. Join us in conserving this American treasure.

About The Sagebrush
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

About The Sagebrush

Values, threats, and conservation of America's largest ecosystem.

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Sagebrush Resources
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Sagebrush Resources

Learn why the sagebrush needs you and how you can help.

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Cheatgrass, Fire, and Sagebrush
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Cheatgrass, Fire, and Sagebrush

How cheatgrass and other invasives are threatening the very existence of the sagebrush steppe ecosystem.

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Birds of the Sagebrush Steppe

News and Stories

Cutting Trees Gives Sage-Grouse Populations a Boost, Scientists Find
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Cutting Trees Gives Sage-Grouse Populations a Boost, Scientists Find

A new study in Oregon shows that removing conifers has helped the imperiled bird’s local numbers grow more quickly.

Efforts to Help Greater Sage-Grouse to be Restored by Biden Administration
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Efforts to Help Greater Sage-Grouse to be Restored by Biden Administration

The Bureau of Land Management will respond to recent court decisions with new effort to reinstate plans to help struggling sage grouse populations.

Greater Sage-Grouse Populations Have Plunged by 80 Percent Since 1965
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Greater Sage-Grouse Populations Have Plunged by 80 Percent Since 1965

Outlining steep losses and a gloomy future for the bird without action, a new government report aims to stem further declines with an advanced monitoring program.

Biden Halts Oil and Gas Leasing in a Slew of New Climate Actions
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Biden Halts Oil and Gas Leasing in a Slew of New Climate Actions

The president also set a goal of conserving 30 percent of the country’s land and water by 2030 and took steps to boost the clean-energy economy.

Biden’s 30 x 30 Plan: A Roadmap to Restore the Sagebrush Steppe
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Biden’s 30 x 30 Plan: A Roadmap to Restore the Sagebrush Steppe

Western conservation groups applaud Biden administration’s plan to conserve and restore 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030.

Sage against the Machine
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Sage against the Machine

(From Earthjustice) Saving the greater sage-grouse was one of the largest conservation efforts in U.S. history. When the Trump administration tried to sacrifice it to oil and gas, the bird’s champions flew to its rescue.

Grouse: A Podcast About the Bird That's Dividing the West
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Grouse: A Podcast About the Bird That's Dividing the West

BirdNote's new podcast uses Sage-Grouse to tell a story about hope, compromise, and life in rural America.

Audubon: “Illegal directors make illegal decisions.”
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Audubon: “Illegal directors make illegal decisions.”

Federal court invalidates decisions made by illegally installed BLM Director Pendley.

Illegal Plans and Decisions Made by William Perry Pendley Must Be Retracted
Working Lands

Illegal Plans and Decisions Made by William Perry Pendley Must Be Retracted

Coalition of conservation organizations delivers letter to Secretary Bernhardt calling for immediate review.

Frustration Abounds Five Years After the Historic Sage-Grouse Agreement
Working Lands

Frustration Abounds Five Years After the Historic Sage-Grouse Agreement

The federal government hasn't kept up its end of the deal, advocates say, putting the bird back on course for an Endangered Species Act listing.

Learn about birds and get involved.