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Terry Mansfield Voices the Values of Birds and Open Spaces
Terry has been a champion of birds and their habitats for over 40 years. He is a current rancher and Board Member for Partners for Conservation, but before that, he spent 33 years as a wildlife biologist and wildlife administrator in Idaho and California. He has also been involved in the Migratory Bird Habitat Joint…
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Jim Gammonley Champions Adaptation to Colorado’s Changing Resources
Changing water resources in the San Luis Valley of Colorado have reduced the amount of nesting and migratory habitat. Decreased precipitation, increased water usage, and declining aquifers have further complicated the issue. The San Luis Valley is the headwaters of the Rio Grande and a vital stopover for migrating birds. Jim Gammonley, the Avian Researcher…
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Jeanne Chambers: Bridging the Gap between Science and Management
Jeanne Chambers is a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service who has dedicated her career to the ecology, restoration, and management of ecosystems in the western U.S. She has worked directly at the interface between research and management. She has played a formidable role in developing powerful sagebrush ecosystem science related to resilience and…
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Miles Moretti: A Lifetime Investment in Conservation
The IWJV was saddened to hear about the passing of our long-time friend and partner Miles Moretti in September 2023. The Mule Deer Foundation has established a fund in Miles’ name. In many ways, Miles Moretti exemplifies the purpose of the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV). Moretti, the recipient of the IWJV’s 2021 John E.…
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The Right Work, At the Right Time, By the Right People: 2021 Conservation Partner Award
Throughout their careers, Jay Gibbs and Kevin Conroy have been instrumental in the development and success of the Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Innovative and Strategic Approach to Conservation. As Oregon NRCS Basin Team Leaders, both Gibbs and Conroy contributed to the strategic and administrative leadership for NRCS operations in their respective basins (Gibbs…
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In person in Idaho with IWJV’s Management Board & Partners
Staff from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) and the majority of our Management Board were delighted to be back in the saddle as we met face-to-face in Idaho last week for our spring meeting. This was the first in-person gathering of board and staff since September 2019 and excellent discussions filled every element of…
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NRCS Practices for Connecting Landscapes
Although fencelines often divide the landscapes of the Intermountain West, water and wildlife do not abide by those boundaries. Conservation of these important resources relies on an understanding of landscape-scale connectivity. This visual representation of various practices used by USDA NRCS on private agricultural land and public land leased for agriculture seeks to create dialogue…
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Kurt Thomas: Leading by Example in the Klamath Basin
Kurt Thomas is a lifelong rancher from the Upper Klamath Basin whose immense contributions to water and land conservation in the area earned him the 2021 Intermountain West Joint Venture Private Landowner Conservation Champion Award. As an early adopter of sustainable water management practices and by demonstrating his efforts to others, he has magnified conservation…
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Embark on a Virtual Tour of Eastern Nevada
Are you missing the times when partners from across the West would spend a lot more time in the field checking out projects and hearing about successes and challenges in conservation? We sure are at the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) and Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands! To get a little taste of that field…
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A Hub for Conservation and Ranching on Montana’s North-Central Grasslands
Providing livestock with consistent water is often one of the biggest challenges faced by ranchers in the West. Opportunities to do so are thin on the ground and become even thinner throughout the summer, especially in a drought year like the one experienced in north-central Montana in 2021. Tyrel Obrecht, who operates the Louie Petrie…
