Here in the West, we are a community of conservationists who work together across boundaries on escalating challenges to find win-win solutions for birds, other wildlife, and people.

We have partnered with a variety of local, community-based organizations, including land trusts, conservation districts, watershed groups, counties and more to create positive impacts and lasting change through these legacy programs:

• NRCS Sage Grouse Initiative Strategic Watershed Action Team
  From 2011-2016, the IWJV strengthened the capacity of the NRCS to deliver the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) for voluntary, proactive conservation to reduce threats facing sage grouse on private lands. The SGI Strategic Watershed Action Team was established to build critical field delivery capacity in local communities along with science and communications, and today is known as NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife. These partner positions have been critical to working directly with agricultural producers and providing technical assistance.
• SONEC Working Wet Meadows Initiative
  From 2014-Present, the IWJV’s Southern Oregon-Northeastern California (SONEC) Working Wet Meadows Initiative has elevated the importance of private land waterfowl habitat such as wetlands, wet meadows, and irrigated pasturelands through community-based conservation. This initiative supports on-the-ground conservation actions on private and public lands that provide important ecosystem services including clean water, groundwater recharge, and habitat for fish and wildlife. In turn, local communities benefit from the agricultural productivity and recreational opportunities supported by these lands. The High Desert Partnership and Harney Basin Wetlands Initiative are two locally-based initiatives that the IWJV supported via our capacity grants program. Learn about partner positions in these communities.
• Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands
  From 2016-present, the IWJV has invested in a strategic alliance with the Bureau of Land Management and partners to catalyze proactive, voluntary, and community-led sagebrush rangeland conservation – expanding success across private and public lands. The IWJV has invested in multiple landscapes across the West with partner positions that are serving communities. Learn more about these positions here.

• IWJV Capacity Grants
  From 2008-2016, this program helped build community-based capacity and catalyze partnerships that measurably contributed to the protection, restoration, or enhancement of priority bird habitats in the Intermountain West. Successful capacity grants joined conservation partners together—around priority areas, habitats, or bird species—to improve conservation program effectiveness. Many of the positions that were kick-started through this program are now permanent positions with agency or other NGO partners.

If your organization or community would like to build a relationship with us, please contact us!