Widespread invasion of non-native annual grasses, climate change, and human activities have accelerated wildfire cycles, increased fire size and severity, and lengthened fire seasons in sagebrush ecosystems across the western U.S. In a review paper for a special issue of the journal Rangeland Ecology and Management, researchers summarized wildfire trends and impacts. Key impacts include the destruction of sagebrush plants that do not have enough time to recover between fires, declines in sagebrush-dependent wildlife such as the sage-grouse, increased fire suppression costs, and loss of recreational opportunities and cultural resources. In addition, the authors provide an overview of wildland fire coordination efforts among federal, state, and tribal agencies. Because this article covers a wide range of topics, it will be useful for informing land management planning and decision-making processes.  

Crist, M.R., Belger, R., Davies, K.W., Davis, D.M., Meldrum, J.R., Shinneman, D.J., Remington, T.E., Welty, J.L., and Mayer, K.E., 2023, Trends, impacts, and cost of catastrophic and frequent wildfires in the sagebrush biome: Rangeland Ecology and Management, Online. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2023.03.003