Sagelands Program

Identifying and protecting Washington's shrub-steppe ecosystem

Photo: Dave Showalter

The sagebrush steppe is an iconic habitat of the western United States, a seemingly vast and open landscape described by some as the “sagebrush sea.” Here in Washington State, approximately 10.5 million acres of the Columbia Plateau ecoregion were once covered by sagebrush and native grasses. Today, these arid lands have largely been converted to agricultural fields and fragmented by residential and urban development, resulting in over 50% loss of our historic sagebrush habitat.

The remaining sagebrush areas are under threat from climate change, development pressure, increased fire frequency, incompatible grazing practices, and invasive species.

Through community science and advocacy, landowner outreach, collaborative partnerships and policy initiatives, Audubon Washington and our local chapters are building on our record of conservation action to support local economies and secure the future for sagebrush bird species and the habitat they rely on.

In the arid lands of the Columbia Plateau we work with our chapter network and partners in the the Arid Lands Initiative to identify, connect, and protect the best remaining bird habitat. We manage local, hands-on efforts to:

Protect remaining critical sagebrush habitat
Close information gaps in our knowledge of focal bird species’ distribution and habitat needs
Build public-private partnerships in support of habitat connectivity and rangeland fire
Influence land management in priority sagebrush lands
Advance multi-benefit renewable energy siting