Three New Faces Bringing Sagebrush Conservation Capacity to the West

Written with support from Sage Capacity Team members Jamie Nogle, Alex Dohman, and Desi Seal.

Jamie Nogle, Alex Dohman, and Desi Seal

Rural communities in Colorado, Oregon, and Montana have one more sagebrush conservation champion in their midst with the addition of three Sage Capacity Team members.

In northwest Colorado, Jamie Nogle has stepped into the role of Northwest Colorado Partnership Coordinator with the Mule Deer Foundation. This position helps to increase the delivery and implementation of conservation efforts of the Bureau of Land Management and collaborative partners across the region. This position provides range and wildlife technical assistance, coordination and support for collaborative conservation, management, and restoration efforts in crucial sagebrush steppe habitat for lands managed by the BLM Grand Junction and White River Field Offices. Private and public lands adjacent to BLM lands are also eligible for help through this position.

“There is a long-standing history of collaborative partnerships in northwest Colorado.  My goal through this position is to use this solid foundation to help develop larger, landscape-level projects that strategically incorporate available science and additional partners to increase the pace and scale of conservation deliverables,” said Nogle.

To the west, Sage Capacity Team member Alex Dohman has been hard at work as the Local Implementation Team (LIT) Coordinator for the Burns and Lakeview districts in southeast Oregon. LITs serve as one of the primary conduits to facilitate the delivery of sage-grouse conservation at the local level in Oregon, and include representatives from various local interest groups including state and federal agencies, cattle ranchers, tribes, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and various outdoor and conservation organizations.

When asked what makes him excited about his role, Dohman replied, “Local partners have been doing great things for sage-grouse and are eager to continue the work in a way to do collaborate in a larger landscape scale to ensure that conservation efforts have best potential success.”

Furthest to the north, Desi Seal has stepped into the role of Big Game Project Coordinator with Pheasants Forever for the Big Game Habitat Improvement Project in north-central Montana. This collaborative effort aims to implement conservation and restoration efforts that secure the connectivity of grasslands and rangelands across north-central Montana.

Seal’s primary focus is coordinating with local partners and working with farmers and ranchers to keep large landscapes intact for migratory big game and other wildlife through technical and financial assistance programs. By supporting working lands while also improving and restoring grassland and rangeland habitat, Seal is helping to create robust economies for local communities while retaining intact habitat for big game, migratory birds, and other wildlife.

“Coming from a legal and lobbying background, I believe it is vital we build relationships and work together, not only to get work done on the ground, but also to alleviate the need to rely on the legal system or fear it. When a challenge comes our way, we’re now grouped together to support one another in the shared goal of balanced stewardship,” said Seal.