United States Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is calling for a new strategy to battle wildfires across the sagebrush country of the Intermountain West.
It calls for protecting areas that are most at risk by using veteran fire crews, rural fire departments and fire-protection associations of ranchers who can respond quickly.
Heading into this year’s wildfire season, the plan would also accelerate efforts to restore burned rangelands by developing a strategy for storing and distributing locally adapted seeds.
The intent is to greater protect sage-grouse habitat while contending with destructive fires.