Enhancing public access in central Washington’s shrub-steppe

Enhancing public access in central Washington’s shrub-steppe

With partners and volunteers, this year we installed a new informational kiosk, graded gravel parking area and improved road signage in the Quilomene Wildlife Area near Ellensburg. By Jay Kehne, Sagelands Program Lead Along the western edge of the Columbia River just east of Ellensburg, the Quilomene Wildlife Area offers boundless views of ridges dotted … Continued

Soldiers and sagebrush; a trip to the Yakima Training Center

A military training ground between Ellensburg and Yakima contains some of the best shrub-steppe habitat in the state. BY Jay Kehne, Sagelands Program Lead and Rose Piccinini, Sagelands Contractor In central Washington lies a vast landscape with some of the most prime shrub-steppe habitat in the state. Its northern border is drawn by I-90, to … Continued

Returning home; the pronghorn’s journey back to Washington

Efforts are underway to restore pronghorn to Washington’s sagelands, but fences and habitat fragmentation inhibit the recovery of this native species. By Rose Piccinini, Sagelands Contractor Over the last 15 years, I’ve made the drive from Eastern Washington to central Nevada many times with my family. One of the highlights has always been getting a … Continued

Connecting and restoring Washington’s Sagelands

An update on our new Sagelands Heritage Program in Central Washington and southern British Columbia BY JAY KEHNE, SAGELANDS PROGRAM LEAD The northernmost extent of a “Sagebrush Sea” that extends from the eastern front of the Rocky Mountains to the Inland Northwest, our region’s arid steppe is often overlooked compared to the rugged splendor of … Continued