Impacts of Ecosystem Degradation

The increased fire threat and loss of nearly half of the sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin has resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars spent annually for fire fighting and restoration, an increased threat to property and life, increased soil erosion and sedimentation, decreased water quality, a decline in the forage base for domestic livestock, and decreased habitat for big game and threatened species of wildlife. The continued expansions of exotic weeds, woodlands, and human populations throughout the Intermountain West will greatly increase economic losses due to costs of fighting wildland fire and restoration efforts.