DEADLINE: IJNR Sagebrush Country Institute

Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho

April 6-13, 2015

The story of the greater sage grouse is a tale as big as the West itself. While much focus has been placed on the fate of this singularly charismatic bird, its survival hinges on the conservation of the sagebrush ecosystems it calls home. It is habitat that spans parts of 11 Western states and two Canadian provinces. It is also habitat that is home to just about every natural resource, energy and environment issue under the sun. 

Cattle ranching. Wind farms. Oil and gas exploration. Gold mining. Urban sprawl. Wildfires. Invasive species. Wild horses. You name it, it's happening out in sagebrush country. 

With a push to have the Greater Sage Grouse listed under the Endangered Species Act, folks across the West have joined together to see if they can, instead, get both the bird and the bush in good standing, turning sage grouse habitat into a landscape that works for the bird, the countless other species of plants and animals that call it home, and the human beings who live and work there. 

In April of 2015, Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources (IJNR) will explore this story in a multi-state expedition. See the details here. Deadline to apply: Feb 27th.

Journalists will see the places and talk to the people who are trying to determine the very future of the West as we know it. Can we have a collaborative "working landscape" that allows for human industry and sage grouse survival? Or will lawsuits to get the bird listed as "endangered" halt those endeavors?