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.

Opinions on Sage-Grouse
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Opinions on Sage-Grouse

Op-eds from across the West about the Bureau of Land Management's land use plans.

Read more

Sagebrush Resources
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Sagebrush Resources

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

Read more

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.

Read more

Birds of the Sagebrush Steppe

News and Stories

Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Sage-grouse Directive, Canceling Hundreds of Oil and Gas Leases
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Court Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Sage-grouse Directive, Canceling Hundreds of Oil and Gas Leases

Administration violated federal law by leasing sensitive sage-grouse habitat for drilling

Conservation Groups Sound Alarm on Administration’s Continued Assault on Western Values
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Conservation Groups Sound Alarm on Administration’s Continued Assault on Western Values

"The administration is rushing through yet another effort to reduce protections for our shared public lands, and it’s the sage-grouse’s turn, again."

Sage Advice From a Sage-Grouse Expert
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Sage Advice From a Sage-Grouse Expert

Retired wildlife biologist Dr. Jack Connelly speaks up on the importance of sage-grouse habitat protections.

Irresponsible Oil and Gas Leasing Monopolizes Public Lands
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Irresponsible Oil and Gas Leasing Monopolizes Public Lands

The real effects of fire-sale mineral leasing on our shared resources.

Oil Market Woes Raise Concerns That More Wells Will Be ‘Orphaned’
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Oil Market Woes Raise Concerns That More Wells Will Be ‘Orphaned’

When energy companies go bust, taxpayers are often on the hook to clean up abandoned wells that pose environmental hazards.

Meet the Inmates Working to Rebuild the Greater Sage-Grouse's Home
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Meet the Inmates Working to Rebuild the Greater Sage-Grouse's Home

Participants in the Sagebrush in Prisons Project find peace and purpose helping the bird's habitat recover from increasingly devastating wildfires.

Amid Global Pandemic, Federal Government Pushes Ahead on Fossil Fuel Leasing and Bird-Protection Rollbacks
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Amid Global Pandemic, Federal Government Pushes Ahead on Fossil Fuel Leasing and Bird-Protection Rollbacks

As the coronavirus crisis deepens, conservation groups are calling on the Interior Department to give a distressed public more time to comment on controversial policy changes.

Sage-Grouse Season Is Upon Us
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Sage-Grouse Season Is Upon Us

In sagebrush country, the show goes on.

President Trump Visits Colorado as his Policies Wreak Havoc on Public Lands
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

President Trump Visits Colorado as his Policies Wreak Havoc on Public Lands

This Administration prioritizes energy leasing over sound management of the sagebrush ecosystem.

Audubon: New Sage-Grouse Review Plan is “Nothing More Than Window-Dressing”
Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative

Audubon: New Sage-Grouse Review Plan is “Nothing More Than Window-Dressing”

BLM’s commitment to removing Greater Sage-Grouse protections undermines any claims of meaningfully addressing important court order.

Learn about birds and get involved.