Chances are good that when people think of important wildlife habitat in the West, they are typically thinking of the habitat found on public land. They’re not entirely wrong: 70 percent of the Intermountain West’s iconic landscapes fall on public land.

However, in a region where water is scarce, wetlands can often be the source of the most biodiverse habitat. Around 70 percent of the Intermountain West’s wetlands – including important sagebrush mesic habitat – occur on private land. These water-rich areas are frequently associated with irrigated agriculture and often occur on working ranches and farms in landscapes important to wildlife, native fish, and people.

Conservation measures implemented on private land can have whole-ecosystem benefits that ripple far beyond the boundary fence. What is more, these efforts don’t have to come at a high cost to the landowner: integrating conservation into practice can actually improve the bottom line in the long run. We’ve created a collection of success stories, as well as some resources for landowners and private land partners, to help guide the conservation of this important habitat.

Find this resource here: https://iwjv.org/resource/private-lands-conservation/