PacifiCorp Continues to Lead in Supporting Sagebrush Conservation

Enacting durable conservation takes all types of partners. In few other places is this more prominent than the American West’s sagebrush country. The Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV) is proud to work closely with PacifiCorp, an electric utility company based in the western United States, and has done so for over 25 years. PacifiCorp does business as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, and as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Over the years PacifiCorp has supported the IWJV with numerous visionary partnerships and financial contributions. Sherry Liguori, Environmental Manager for Rocky Mountain Power, serves as a leading member of IWJV’s Management Board just entering her 10th year on the board.

Early in FY 2021, PacifiCorp contributed $30,000 to support the IWJV’s cross-jurisdictional work in sagebrush habitat conservation via our conservation effort called Partnering to Conserve Sagebrush Rangelands. The company has contributed annually to the IWJV’s sagebrush habitat conservation work since 2013.

“Thanks so much to PacifiCorp for their timeless and unwavering support of the IWJV,” said Dave Smith, IWJV’s Coordinator. “The steady funding provided by the company over all of these years has played a key role in leveraging more than $10.5 million we have received from the Bureau of Land Management and multiple other partners. These commitments have catalyzed truly impactful sagebrush and wet meadow conservation on the ground!”

PacifiCorp’s commitments are part of long-running support by the energy industry in the science-based, partnership-driven habitat conservation work of the IWJV. The company’s investments have truly helped find common ground with an array of partners in conserving habitat that meet the needs of migratory birds, other wildlife, and rural communities. Non-federal funding is incredibly valuable to matching other public funding sources to expand the pace and scale of landscape conservation.

 “We are happy to continue to support the IWJV’s work in sagebrush country,” Liguori said. “Their approach to community-based, voluntary, incentive-based habitat conservation in this unique habitat benefits people, wildlife, and rural economies. We are glad to be part of that investment as it positively impacts our customers and the landscapes we all rely upon.”

PacifiCorp states that its environmental commitment runs through every aspect of its business. They are continually looking for ways to minimize their impact on the environment and are leading the way toward a more sustainable energy future. Learn about PacifiCorp and its dedication to conservation here. PacifiCorp’s avian protection program contains industry-leading efforts to minimize impacts of electrical operations on birds and proactively engage in on-the-ground avian conservation initiatives.

“Foremost, we sincerely appreciate the steadfast commitment from the company and for Sherry’s tireless work over the years,” Smith said. “PacifiCorp leads by example in our conservation partnership.”

For more information on how to support our sagebrush conservation efforts directly, please contact Ali Duvall, IWJV Director of Strategic Partnerships, at ali.duvall@iwjv.org.