Steven E Hanser
Since 2019, Steve Hanser has provided senior leadership at the Fort Collins Science Center, serving as Deputy Center Director and, since April 2025, as Acting Center Director. He guides major scientific initiatives that support management of complex natural‑resource challenges.
Steve Hanser’s career centers on advancing applied science that supports decision‑making across the Department of the Interior, Federal agencies, State wildlife agencies, and partner organizations. His scientific work spans landscape ecology, species and habitat assessments, and the development of integrated data and decision‑support tools. Steve has led interdisciplinary teams that produce high‑impact science used to inform policy and on‑the‑ground management. His work includes synthesizing natural resource information across large landscapes, developing multi‑agency research priorities, and improving access to authoritative data for species and habitat management. He has overseen the development of geospatial analyses, monitoring frameworks, and integrative modeling tools that help agencies evaluate vegetation conditions, assess risk, and allocate resources more effectively.
In his leadership roles, Steve has strengthened inter‑agency coordination, expanded collaborative research networks, and championed efforts to improve communication and data sharing across the natural resource community. His focus on transparent, accessible, and actionable science has helped ensure that research produced by USGS and the Fort Collins Science Center directly supports management needs across ecosystems and jurisdictions.
Professional Experience
Center Director (Acting), Fort Collins Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: April 2025 - Present
Deputy Center Director, Fort Collins Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: June 2019 - Present
Chief, Social and Economic Analysis Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: December 2024 - Present
Chief, Invasive Species Science Branch, U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: July 2022 - December 2024
Chief, Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics Research Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: July 2019 - January 2022
Chief, Decision Support Science and Tools Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: April 2019 - June 2020
Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: June 2019 - Sept 2019
Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist, U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: January 2015 – June 2019
Wildland Fire Science Coordinator (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: July 2014 - Oct 2014
Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002-2015
Biological Science Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002
GIS Intern, City of Pocatello, Pocatello, ID: 2002
Graduate Research Assistant, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID: 1999–2002
Research Technician, Iowa State University, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Iowa Cooperative Research Unit, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
Education and Certifications
M.S. Biology, Idaho State University, 2002
Geotechnologies Post-baccalaureate Certification, Idaho State University, 2002
B.S. Biology, Iowa State University, 1999
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 62
Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
The Wyoming Basins are one of the remaining strongholds of the sagebrush ecosystem. However, like most sagebrush habitats, threats to this region are numerous. This book adds to current knowledge about the regional status of the sagebrush ecosystem, the distribution of habitats, the threats to the ecosystem, and the influence of threats and habitat conditions on occurrence and abundance...
Introduction: An ecoregional assessment of the Wyoming Basins Introduction: An ecoregional assessment of the Wyoming Basins
The Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) area in the western United States contains a number of important land cover types, including nearly one-fourth of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in North America. Although relatively unappreciated until recent decades, the broad open landscapes dominated by sagebrush communities have received increasing attention for their ecological value...
Authors
Steven T. Knick, Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael J. Wisdom
Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step...
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Lowell H. Suring, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Michael J. Wisdom
Chapter 1: Study area description Chapter 1: Study area description
The boundary for the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) was largely determined by the co-occurrence of some of the largest tracts of intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) remaining in the western United States with areas of increasing resource extraction. The WBEA area includes two ecoregions in their entirety, Wyoming Basins and Utah-Wyoming Rocky Mountains, and portions of two...
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Matthias Leu
Native and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use Native and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use
Habitat fragmentation and invasion by exotic species are regarded as major threats to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. We surveyed the plant communities of two types of remnant sagebrush-steppe fragments from nearby areas on the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho, USA. One type resulted from land use (conversion to dryland agriculture; hereafter AG Islands) and the other from...
Authors
N. Huntly, R. Bangert, S.E. Hanser
Chapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance Chapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been declining both spatially and numerically throughout their range because of anthropogenic disturbance and loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Understanding how sage-grouse respond to these habitat alterations and disturbances, particularly the types of disturbances and extent at which they respond, is...
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Matthias Leu, Mary M. Rowland, Scott E. Nielsen, Steven T. Knick
Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007 Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several...
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. Knick
Influences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation Influences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation
Spatial patterns influence the processes that maintain Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes on which they depend. We used connectivity analyses to: (1) delineate the dominant pattern of sagebrush landscapes; (2) identify regions of the current range-wide distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse important for conservation; (3)...
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser
Chapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance Chapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems have experienced recent changes resulting not only in the loss of habitat but also fragmentation and degradation of remaining habitats. As a result, sagebrush-obligate and sagebrush associated songbird populations have experienced population declines over the past several decades. We examined landscape-scale responses in occupancy and...
Authors
Cameron L. Aldridge, Steve E. Hanser, Scott E. Nielsen, Matthias Leu, Brian S. Cade, D. Joanne Saher, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals Chapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)- associated wildlife are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and by impacts associated with anthropogenic disturbances, including energy development. Understanding how species of concern as well as other wildlife including insects, reptiles, and mammals respond to type and spatial scale of disturbance is critical to managing future land uses and...
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species Chapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species
Understanding multi-scale floral and faunal responses to human land use is crucial for informing natural resource management and conservation planning. However, our knowledge on how land use influences sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems is limited primarily to site-specific studies. To fill this void, studies across large regions are needed that address how species are distributed...
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Brian S. Cade, Steven T. Knick
Non-USGS Publications**
Hanser, S.E., 2001. The Diversity and Abundance of Small Mammals in Sage-steppe Habitat Fragments Within Agricultural and Lava-flow Matrices (Master Thesis, Idaho State University).
Hanser, S.E. and Huntly, N.J., 2006. The biogeography of small mammals of fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy, 87(6), pp.1165-1174.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 62
Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins Sagebrush ecosystem conservation and management: Ecoregional assessment tools and models for the Wyoming Basins
The Wyoming Basins are one of the remaining strongholds of the sagebrush ecosystem. However, like most sagebrush habitats, threats to this region are numerous. This book adds to current knowledge about the regional status of the sagebrush ecosystem, the distribution of habitats, the threats to the ecosystem, and the influence of threats and habitat conditions on occurrence and abundance...
Introduction: An ecoregional assessment of the Wyoming Basins Introduction: An ecoregional assessment of the Wyoming Basins
The Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) area in the western United States contains a number of important land cover types, including nearly one-fourth of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in North America. Although relatively unappreciated until recent decades, the broad open landscapes dominated by sagebrush communities have received increasing attention for their ecological value...
Authors
Steven T. Knick, Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael J. Wisdom
Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step...
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Lowell H. Suring, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Michael J. Wisdom
Chapter 1: Study area description Chapter 1: Study area description
The boundary for the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) was largely determined by the co-occurrence of some of the largest tracts of intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) remaining in the western United States with areas of increasing resource extraction. The WBEA area includes two ecoregions in their entirety, Wyoming Basins and Utah-Wyoming Rocky Mountains, and portions of two...
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Matthias Leu
Native and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use Native and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use
Habitat fragmentation and invasion by exotic species are regarded as major threats to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. We surveyed the plant communities of two types of remnant sagebrush-steppe fragments from nearby areas on the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho, USA. One type resulted from land use (conversion to dryland agriculture; hereafter AG Islands) and the other from...
Authors
N. Huntly, R. Bangert, S.E. Hanser
Chapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance Chapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been declining both spatially and numerically throughout their range because of anthropogenic disturbance and loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Understanding how sage-grouse respond to these habitat alterations and disturbances, particularly the types of disturbances and extent at which they respond, is...
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Matthias Leu, Mary M. Rowland, Scott E. Nielsen, Steven T. Knick
Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007 Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several...
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. Knick
Influences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation Influences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation
Spatial patterns influence the processes that maintain Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes on which they depend. We used connectivity analyses to: (1) delineate the dominant pattern of sagebrush landscapes; (2) identify regions of the current range-wide distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse important for conservation; (3)...
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser
Chapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance Chapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems have experienced recent changes resulting not only in the loss of habitat but also fragmentation and degradation of remaining habitats. As a result, sagebrush-obligate and sagebrush associated songbird populations have experienced population declines over the past several decades. We examined landscape-scale responses in occupancy and...
Authors
Cameron L. Aldridge, Steve E. Hanser, Scott E. Nielsen, Matthias Leu, Brian S. Cade, D. Joanne Saher, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals Chapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)- associated wildlife are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and by impacts associated with anthropogenic disturbances, including energy development. Understanding how species of concern as well as other wildlife including insects, reptiles, and mammals respond to type and spatial scale of disturbance is critical to managing future land uses and...
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species Chapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species
Understanding multi-scale floral and faunal responses to human land use is crucial for informing natural resource management and conservation planning. However, our knowledge on how land use influences sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems is limited primarily to site-specific studies. To fill this void, studies across large regions are needed that address how species are distributed...
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Brian S. Cade, Steven T. Knick
Non-USGS Publications**
Hanser, S.E., 2001. The Diversity and Abundance of Small Mammals in Sage-steppe Habitat Fragments Within Agricultural and Lava-flow Matrices (Master Thesis, Idaho State University).
Hanser, S.E. and Huntly, N.J., 2006. The biogeography of small mammals of fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy, 87(6), pp.1165-1174.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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