EFFORT FOCUSES ON TOP THREATS TO BIG GAME POPULATIONS ACROSS 17 WESTERN STATES
On June 2, USDA formally published its latest framework for conservation action and launched an ambitious effort to conserve the West's migratory big game. The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, highlighting the cooperation and collaboration between state entities that manage wildlife populations and federal agencies like the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Services Agency.
"Across the West, the future of iconic big game herds—elk, mule deer and pronghorn—depends on the health of our working lands," said NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley. "Privately owned lands provide the vital seasonal habitats and connectivity required to sustain these healthy, resilient herds."
The Migratory Big Game Framework for Conservation Action marks the third installment in Working Lands for Wildlife's western conservation framework portfolio. Interwoven into this framework for big game migrations are lessons learned from 15 years of WLFW implementation, along with new science and technology to inform future delivery.
The Framework outlines three key strategies:
- Protecting Habitat and Connectivity: Voluntary conservation easements and CRP contracts help keep working lands intact, preventing fragmentation from development and securing movement corridors for future generations.
- Reducing Barriers to Movement: Modernizing fences is a centerpiece of the strategy, replacing hazardous designs with wildlife-friendly alternatives and, where possible, removing fencing entirely. The Framework also highlights emerging solutions like virtual fencing, which allows producers to improve livestock management while reducing the need for traditional fencing.
- Improving Habitat Quality: Actions include controlling invasive annual grasses, removing encroaching conifers, restoring mesic (wet) habitats, and improving forest health to boost forage and habitat quality on summer and winter ranges. These steps strengthen rangeland resilience, reduce wildfire risk, and maintain reliable water and forage sources critical to livestock and wildlife alike.
Spatial targeting lies at the heart of WLFW's threat-reduction strategies, including this migratory big game effort. WLFW prioritizes proactive conservation in and around intact but vulnerable rangelands. This focuses efforts in places where they are more likely to be effective and cost efficient, rather than reactive responses in regions that are already highly degraded.
This Framework is designed to work in tandem with existing WLFW biome-based frameworks, which provide the foundation for large-scale habitat restoration. Several core threats to big game are already extensively addressed in the WLFW frameworks for the Sagebrush and Great Plains biomes.