Soda Springs

About the Program
The Bayer Soda Springs program is in southeastern Idaho, near the town of Soda Springs, in a mix of pastureland, aspen stands, wet meadow and sagebrush habitat. Bayer partnered with Utah State University to collect data on health and growth of sagebrush. The overall goal of the project is to convert non-native rangeland into native habitat for the greater sage-grouse and other wildlife, as well as setting an example for other managers focused on rangeland management. The team is working to restore 237 acres of sagebrush habitat to benefit the greater sage-grouse.  Partners are engaged in data collection, implementation and monitoring of sagebrush plants. The goal for the educational outreach is to target individuals in both the public and private communities. Local landowners, ranchers, government and non-governmental organizations attended a field tour.

Practices and Impacts

• The team treats weeds with spot herbicide, plants sagebrush and monitors the area. Results from the sagebrush monitoring efforts include overall survival rate, individual plot survival rate and methodology survival rate and sagebrush growth.
• The last four years of monitoring continue to show that the survivability of the transplants outweigh the survivability of the tubelings that were planted during the same time. The wild transplants continue to show promise and encouraged the outreach engagement that was conducted in August of 2023.
• The educational outreach effort provided local landowners, government and non-governmental organizations with visual and quantitative data on how to restore smooth brome rangelands back to functioning multiuse sagebrush habitat through creative design methodologies that were used during the implementation of the Fox Hills Ranch Sagebrush Restoration project, implemented in 2019.