BOISE, Idaho — The federal government has a long history of failure when it comes to restoring sagebrush rangeland scorched by wildfires.
Scientists and land managers aim to change that by using the knowledge gained by those past setbacks to restore a giant swath of sagebrush steppe destroyed by a wildfire last summer in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon.
Scientists say three subspecies of big sagebrush make it among the most successful and widely-spread plants in North America. The three subspecies contain variations adapted to local climate and elevation.
Past restoration efforts failed to consider those differences.
The $67 million restoration effort underway in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon is using seeds from surviving sagebrush within the 436-square-mile burned area, seeds from sagebrush adjacent to the fire, and seeds from similar regions.
