Fenced border between private land (on left) and public land (on right).

Since settlers arrived in Western America over 100 years ago rangelands without trees have been seen as a desolate place, with little resources for making a living or providing revenue. Raising livestock has been the predominant use of these lands, with weekend recreation mainly consisting of having something to do with guns and or gas powered vehicles.

Unfortunately most of the lands having sagebrush do not grow trees- for good reason- because most trees can not survive the arid conditions in the desert. Although the plants that grow in the desert are well adapted to survival, placing extra pressures on these communities can be devistating. Pressures are being exerted throughout the country on rangelands everyday include overgrazing or grazing at improper times, increasing off-road vehicle use, wildfires and invasion by weeds. Other uses of public lands which also cause disturbance include mining, powerline and road construction. Not only the lands are stressed, but the plants themselves have long been targets of persecution.

This photo shows private land to the left of the fenceline, and BLM public land to the right of the fenceline. It has been thought that sagebrush inhibited the germination and growth of grasses and forbs, and that sagebrush increases with grazing. Although now the ecology of sagebrush and its role in shrub-steppe ecosystems is becoming better known, old ideas and values still persist to the detriment of the entire ecosystem. The shrubs on the left side of the fence have been purposefully chained and killed, in doing so only two tufts of grass and no forbs could be seen after treatment. New seedlings will not have the benefit of the shade and protection of the sagebrush and the disturbance creates new opportunities for unpalatable weedy species to invade the pasture.