The goal of Sage Steppe Wild is to protect, conserve, and restore the wildlands and wildlife of the Western United States. In particular, the organization focuses on the Great Basin and Intermountain West regions, which contain the Sagebrush Steppe (also known as the Sagebrush Sea), pinyon-juniper woodlands, riparian areas, meadows, and forests. Sage Steppe Wild centers science and field work as their primary tools to advocate for better land management of these high-value and biologically diverse ecosystems. As a result, the organization comments on permits, management issues, and projects on public lands, carries out research and monitoring, and educates the public about western wildlands and wildlife. As diligent monitors of our public lands, Sage Steppe Wild holds government agencies accountable to the protection of native wildlife.
Caption:Participants learn about sagebrush steppe ecology and how better to monitor public lands grazing Photo: Sage Steppe Wild
Sage Steppe Wild is a team of four staff members, each with a deep connection to, and scientific expertise about western wildlands. Founded in 2023, the organization provides rigorous scientific monitoring of public lands, documenting how the land healed from the effects of livestock grazing in regions like Elk Meadow in central Idaho and Sarah Spring in Nevada. Sage Steppe Wild also provides training to teach the public about the ecology of western wildlands and how to better monitor the impacts of grazing on public lands. The organization asserts that monitoring grazing is vital to restore sagebrush, riparian, woodland, and grassland habitats to a thriving state. By educating the public and applying pressure to public agencies around ecosystem and wildlife protection, Sage Steppe Wild are vital advocates for the soil, water, and wildlife of our public lands in the Western US.
A major focus of Sage Steppe Wild’s advocacy is to confront livestock grazing on our public lands, which has a multitude of negative impacts on the ecosystems, from native habitat loss to degraded soil and water quality.