Season 3: Episode 19: Wildlife Habitat in the Intermountain West.

Water, fire, sagebrush, and the vast open landscapes of the American West are at the heart of this week's conversation. In Season 3, Episode 19 of Connecting with Conservation, co-hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation welcome two guests from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV): Hannah Nikonow, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, and Charlie Holtz, Field Delivery Capacity Coordinator. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the largest, and least talked about, conservation partnerships in the United States, one that spans 11 states, roughly half a billion acres, and three of the West's most critical habitat types: sagebrush rangelands, working water and wetlands, and dry frequent-fire forests. Hannah and Charlie walk listeners through what the IWJV does on the ground, from helping multi-generational ranching families implement conservation practices on their working lands, to placing conservation professionals within BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and NRCS offices to deliver habitat programs where they're needed most. The conversation ranges from the mechanics of beaver dam analogs and low-tech stream restoration to the challenges of invasive annual grasses, encroaching conifers, big game migration corridors, and the West's intensifying water scarcity. Hannah also shares the IWJV's innovative approach to public outreach, including hands-on journalist field workshops that take reporters into sagebrush country and along the Bear River corridor to see conservation work firsthand rather than just reading a press release. Whether you're a wildlife professional, a western landowner, a hunter chasing sage grouse and pronghorn across public lands, or simply someone who wants to understand how the vast open spaces of the Intermountain West are being protected and restored, this episode delivers. The IWJV is one of conservation's unsung institutions, and this conversation is a compelling reminder that the people, partnerships, and funding mechanisms behind the work matter just as much as the work itself. Learn more and explore their stories at IWJV.org.   For more Information, Visit Us at: • Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute • Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org • Intermountain West Joint Venture: https://iwjv.org   #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildlifehabitat #conservation #sagebrush #sagegrouse #westernwildlife #hunting #huntingconservation #publiclands #intermountainwest #habitatrestoration #wildlifemanagement #wildlifemanagementinstitute #outdoorstewards #connectingwithconservation