Development and Application of a Web-based Sagebrush Restoration Planning Tool Based on Ecological Sites and Climate-Adjusted Reference Conditions

This project aims to produce a web-accessible planning tool that will complement on-going sagegrouse and sagebrush conservation efforts by providing descriptions of site specific plant communities adjusted for predicted climate change, as reference conditions for restoration or Habitat improvement objectives. First, development of the planning tool will provide new information in a readily available format. It will build from existing information contained in ecological site descriptions, but will provide a consistent description of optimal potential plant communities as reference information for each site and further make recommendations for adjusting native plant communities so that they will be resilient and sustainable under future predicted climate conditions. Each ecological site will be evaluated for its potential to provide sage-grouse Habitat. The web-based accessibility of this information in a format readily usable by technical service providers, wildlife biologists, and interested producers will also be new. The project will provide demonstrations of the use of the planning tool to provide benefits to sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystems.