Prioritizing restoration and conservation of sagebrush ecosystems in northwestern Colorado

We recently adapted the Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET; Duchardt et al. 2021) for use by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) as a pilot project for using PReSET to guide local scale conservation delivery within the Sagebrush Conservation Design. In 2022, we conducted a stakeholder workshop series to inform the expansion of PReSET across the Colorado River Basin (CRB). During the workshop series, stakeholders expressed considerable interest in more localized applications of PReSET for the CRB. Northwest Colorado represents a region with considerable ongoing sagebrush restoration and supports important sagebrush ecosystems and associated plant communities characteristic of the sagebrush biome, making it an ideal location for piloting the tool’s expansion.

In the first phase of this project, we used analysis-ready spatial data to prioritize sites for restoration and conservation based on customized CPW management objectives across northwest Colorado (Tarbox et al, 2025). Specifically, we worked to identify tiered priority areas for implementing sagebrush protection and restoration with an emphasis on ecological resilience, sagebrush connectivity, and long-term vegetation trends, while also considering habitat value of sagebrush-dependent and sagebrush-associated wildlife. These scenarios are now informing local management decisions by providing spatially explicit maps that identify areas with low risk of restoration failure and high probability of supporting sagebrush ecosystems under changing conditions.

We are now using the results of this work to directly guide a second phase of the project designed to inform management of the pinyon-juniper woodland to sagebrush shrubland ecotone, a key management priority for CPW and other regional stakeholders. This phase will balance the needs of sagebrush-dependent species, migratory ungulates, and pinyon-juniper species, while also accounting for expected transitions in sagebrush and pinyon-juniper habitat. Additionally, we are developing scenarios to prioritize protection and restoration of mountain shrub- and grassland habitats to assist CPW efforts to recover Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus), a subspecies of State Special Concern (Hoffman 2001). Along with providing actionable tools for important stakeholders, the results of this work will inform the expansion of PReSET applications across the CRB and sagebrush biome.