Core Work
INR’s Rangeland Sustainability Program addresses the urgent issues facing rangeland ecosystems across eastern Oregon and the Intermountain West, including invasive species, large mega-fires, woodland expansion, drought, and climate change. These stressors impact ecosystem function and biodiversity, productivity for wildlife and livestock producers, and rural communities and recreation opportunities. The program has a particular focus on the sagebrush steppe ecosystem in eastern Oregon but addresses issues that impact rangelands more broadly within the state and across the western United States.
In addition to its core areas of work above, INR’s Rangeland Sustainability Program supports the work of INR’s Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) in eastern Oregon rangelands. This includes the Oregon Natural Areas Program, ORBIC’s efforts to evaluate the status and trends of all rare, threatened and endangered species in Oregon, and efforts to help track and control invasive species, including iMapInvasives.
INR’s work under the Rangeland Sustainability Program is supported by the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. In addition to these key agencies, we work with many collaborators including a wide network of SageCon partners.
If you are interested in learning more about our work, please contact Megan Creutzburg.
Rangeland Publications
Olsen, A., M.K. Creutzburg, M. McIntosh, D. O’Leary, K. Wollstein, J.D. Maestas, L. Garner, B. Mealor. 2024. Crossing the Chasm: Using Technical Transfer to Bridge Science Production and Management Action. Rangeland Ecology & Management 97: 178–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.008.
Boyd, C.S., M.K. Creutzburg, A.V. Kumar, J.T. Smith, K.E. Doherty, B.A. Mealor, J.B. Bradford, M. Cahill, S.M. Copeland, C.A. Duquette, L. Garner, M.C. Holdrege, B. Sparklin, T.B. Cross. 2024. A Strategic and Science-Based Framework for Management of Invasive Annual Grasses in the Sagebrush Biome. Rangeland Ecology & Management 97: 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.019.
Holdrege, M.C., K.A. Palmquist, D.R. Schlaepfer, W.K. Lauenroth, C.S. Boyd, M.K. Creutzburg, M.R. Crist, K.E. Doherty, T.E. Remington, J.C. Tull, L.A. Wiechman, J.B. Bradford. 2024. Climate Change Amplifies Ongoing Declines in Sagebrush Ecological Integrity. Rangeland Ecology & Management 97: 25-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.003.
Doherty, K., et al. 2022. A sagebrush conservation design to proactively restore America’s sagebrush biome. USGS OFR 2022-1081. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2022/1081/ofr20221081.pdf.
Wollstein K.L., M.K. Creutzburg, C.J. Dunn, D.D. Johnson, C. O'Connor, C.S. Boyd. 2022. Toward integrated fire management to promote ecosystem resilience. Rangelands, 44 (2022), pp. 227-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2022.01.001.
Creutzburg, M.K., A.C. Olsen, M.A. Anthony, J.D. Maestas, J.B. Cupples, N.R. Vora, B.W. Allred. 2022. A geographic strategy for cross-jurisdictional, proactive management of invasive annual grasses in Oregon. Rangelands 44(3): 173-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2021.12.007.
Allred, B.W., M.K. Creutzburg, et al. 2022. Guiding principles for using satellite-derived maps in rangeland management. Rangelands 44(1): 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2021.09.004.
Creutzburg, M.K., Grossmann, E.B. Conklin, D. 2015. Climate change and land management impact rangeland condition and sage-grouse habitat in southeastern Oregon. AIMS Env Sci 2: 203-236.
Creutzburg, M.K., J.E. Halofsky, J.S. Halofsky, and T.A. Christopher. 2015. Climate change and land management in the rangelands of central Oregon. Environmental Management 55: 43-55.
Creutzburg, M. K., Halofsky, J.S., Hemstrom, M.A. 2012. Using state-and-transition models to project cheatgrass and juniper invasion in southeastern Oregon sagebrush steppe. In: Kerns, B.K., Shlisky, A.J., Daniel, C.J., eds. Proceedings of the First Landscape State-and-Transition Simulation Modeling Conference, June 14–16, 2011, Portland, Oregon. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-869. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Pg 73–84.
