Fact sheet
Guide to vegetation treatment costs for land management in the Great Basin region
View fact sheet. High and low costs represent those commonly reported by SageSTEP collaborators and the NRCS in 2010 and 2011. Costs reported here are meant to provide a starting point only and should be verified through additional research. Many of these treatments are eligible for cost share assistance through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives…
Read MoreAssessing impacts of fire and post-fire mitigation on runoff and erosion from rangelands
View fact sheet. • Amplified runoff and erosion responses are most likely where fire increases bare ground to 50 to 60 percent and slopes exceed 15 percent. Extensive bare ground promotes accumulation of runoff and formation of high velocity concentrated flow, capable of entraining and transporting a high sediment load. • Runoff and erosion responses…
Read MoreAn introduction to the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP): Fire science research to inform land management decision
View factsheet. Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project, known as SageSTEP, is an interdisciplinary, five-year research program that is exploring ways to improve the health of sagebrush rangelands across the Great Basin. The project is funded by the federal government’s Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) and is a collaborative effort among five universities, six federal agencies,…
Read MoreSageSTEP: A model collaboration for land managers
View factsheet. Public land managers in the Great Basin aim to maintain and restore healthy ecosystems. Climate change, private development pressures, and invasive plants are just a few of the challenges they face. Without regional collaboration, stewardship of public lands can be expensive and ineffective. SageSTEP (Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project) is a model collaborative…
Read MoreExpansion of pinyon and juniper trees in the Great Basin: An infographic
View infographic. In the past 100 years, pinyon and juniper trees have expanded their historic range, partly because wildfires have been suppressed and partly because there are fewer grasses to carry fire between trees because of grazing. These trees are using more water, out-competing other plants, and changing the ecosystem, leading to some fairly serious…
Read MoreSagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP): Restoration research with practical applications
View factsheet. Sagebrush rangelands cover millions of acres in the Great Basin including parts of Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. This land provides a variety of important services, including wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation, and economic opportunities; it also serves as the primary forage base for the western livestock industry. Healthy sagebrush rangelands are…
Read MoreRangeland fires and cheatgrass: Values at risk and support for preservation
View factsheet. The high desert sagebrush ecosystems of the Great Basin evolved with fire. However, the introduction of cheatgrass (t. bromus), a highly flammable invasive annual grass, has contributed to the increased intensity and frequency of wildfires we have seen in recent years. Cheatgrass-fueled fires often kill native perennials, which creates openings for further cheatgrass…
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