A federal report released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) finds that a staggering 1.3 million acres of sagebrush steppe ecosystem is being lost annually in the USA. This habitat is critical to many bird species like the sage grouse, songbirds, and indigenous mammals such as the mule deer and pronghorn. More than 350 species of concern depend on this habitat for survival. Sagebrush prairie has become fragmented and degraded by a combination of factors--grazing livestock, invasive grass species like cheatgrass, human development and climate change. In some moist areas it has been replaced by woodland. Since the mid 1880's western juniper has increased ten fold. Sagebrush biome was once widespread in the Intermountain West, accounting for one third of the continental US. The degradation and disappearance of this important ecosystem leads to soil erosion, decreased water quality, and increased fire danger.
There has been increased work on sagebrush conservation in the last two decades, but the focus has shifted to a more defensive strategy, labeled "save the core, grow the core" in which the best remaining sagebrush regions are the focus of protection, and then expansion into areas that are marginal. Sagebrush steppe now occupies less than half of its historic range, and half of that is considered degraded, Healthy shrub ecosystems play a role in local western economies too--providing forage for livestock, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities for humans