Fostering land stewardship and conservation in the American West
through teaching, research, outreach and leadership.
program impacts 2019
The Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative (UHPSI) is focused on land stewardship and conservation in the American West. At its core, UHPSI seeks to engage in teaching, research and outreach on land stewardship, primarily through mentoring students on applied research and management projects with partners. UHPSI is housed at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies in New Haven, CT.
OUR TEAM
Indy Burke, PhD
Michelle Downey, MS
Current Students
Latest news
A Brief Introduction to Chronic Wasting Disease — Meghan Hills
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infection found in captive (farmed) and free-ranging (wild) members of the deer family (hereafter “cervids”) [1]. North American species known to be affected include white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus), and moose (Alces alces) [2,3]. First observed in 1967 in Colorado and Read more about A Brief Introduction to Chronic Wasting Disease — Meghan Hills[…]
Wildlife-Friendly Ranching in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Rory Jacobson and Anna-Sophia Haub are working with partners at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and the University of Pittsburgh to study ranchers’ perspectives on conservation and wildlife management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To understand the economic, social, and cultural drivers behind these perceptions and management strategies, they are Read more about Wildlife-Friendly Ranching in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem[…]
Climate Vulnerability in the Crown of the Continent
UHPSI students are collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist with a Landscape Conservation Design (LCD). The Crown Managers Partnership is creating this design to model spatially-explicit future conditions in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem, which encompasses parts of Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. As a preliminary step in LCD development, our Read more about Climate Vulnerability in the Crown of the Continent[…]
Development of a Feasibility Tool to Evaluate Grassbank Potential in Thunder Basin, Wyoming
Our team is working with The Nature Conservancy Wyoming to research the feasibility of a creative approach to grassland conservation in the Thunder Basin region of Wyoming. The approach is called “grassbanking” and it brings together ranchers and conservation organizations to enhance environmental performance and ranching livelihoods by offering access to discounted grazing leases in Read more about Development of a Feasibility Tool to Evaluate Grassbank Potential in Thunder Basin, Wyoming[…]
Highlighting Indigenous Relationships in the West: A Special Issue of Indigenizing the News
Indigenizing the News is a news source dedicated to Native nations, cultures, and contemporary issues in North America. Through a special issue of the monthly newsletter, Meghanlata Gupta is working to share a variety of news articles, videos, and images that discuss how Indigenous communities collaborate with local, state, and federal governments to pursue shared Read more about Highlighting Indigenous Relationships in the West: A Special Issue of Indigenizing the News[…]
Western Speaker Series
The Western Speaker Series connects conservation professionals and Yale students to explore and discuss a range of issues facing land stewardship in the American West. The Symposium Coordinators work with UHPSI staff to plan presentations, career chats, and technical training by western conservation professionals that provide our students with valuable knowledge and insight. The 2019-2020 Read more about Western Speaker Series[…]
Impacts of Recreation on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
In partnership with the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, Bryce and Talia are investigating trends, conditions, and projections surrounding recreation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) to identify possible recreation ethics for the region. Growing negative impacts of recreation on the ecosystem necessitate a reevaluation of attitudes surrounding recreational access and growth. Through conversations with participants Read more about Impacts of Recreation on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem[…]
Solar and Wind Feasibility Study for Tensleep Preserve in North Central Wyoming
UHPSI research assistants are working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy’s Tensleep Preserve, located in North Central Wyoming, to conduct a solar and wind feasibility study for the preserve. Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind play an increasingly important role in building rural energy independence and resilience. Efforts to pursue this study are in Read more about Solar and Wind Feasibility Study for Tensleep Preserve in North Central Wyoming[…]
Governance successes and challenges along the Colorado River – Lucas Isakowitz
The Colorado River runs almost 1,500 miles, from the cold Rocky Mountains down to the dry Sonoran desert. Throughout this journey, the river passes through 2 countries and 7 states, providing food and water for some 40 million people. This summer I got to know the river intimately, through the work of The Nature Conservancy’s Read more about Governance successes and challenges along the Colorado River – Lucas Isakowitz[…]
A Week in the Desert — Danielle Glass
Researching the impact of surface water to desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) movement patterns, I have spent my summer maintaining trail cameras at water sources across five desert mountain ranges. Below is an example of typical fieldweek in the desert: Monday: After lingering at the California Fish & Wildlife office for way too long, Read more about A Week in the Desert — Danielle Glass[…]
The Death and Rebirth of the Colorado River Delta
A century ago, the Colorado River ran uninterrupted from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. It fanned its delta across 3,000 square miles of winding river and green lagoons, with mesquite and willow trees providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds. “The river was everywhere and nowhere,” wrote the conservationist Aldo Leopold Read more about The Death and Rebirth of the Colorado River Delta[…]
Accelerating Community-Driven Impact, Part 2 — Shea Flanagan
Before my LegacyWorks Group internship in the Tetons this summer comes to a close, I’d like to highlight a couple additional major projects with which I’ve been involved beyond what I outlined in my first blog post. One great aspect of my experience has been learning new approaches to achieving conservation success, such as the Read more about Accelerating Community-Driven Impact, Part 2 — Shea Flanagan[…]
Investigating the Socioecological Importance of Pinyon Forests for Paiute Communities in the Great Basin
Paul’s project investigates socioecological change affecting Paiute communities in California and Nevada. It examines the cultural importance of pinyon forests on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and focuses on the development of new approaches to forest management that promote Paiute traditional foods and silvicultural practices. The Great Basin is experiencing increasing frequency of Read more about Investigating the Socioecological Importance of Pinyon Forests for Paiute Communities in the Great Basin[…]
Accelerating Community-Driven Impact, Part 1 — Shea Flanagan
Howdy! I’ve headed west to work as the Summer Associate for LegacyWorks Group in Jackson, Wyoming. LegacyWorks accelerates community-driven impact to realize transformative change. Here in the Teton Region, we focus our efforts on large-scale conservation initiatives that could not be tackled by a single organization alone. The organization also focuses on regional initiatives in Read more about Accelerating Community-Driven Impact, Part 1 — Shea Flanagan[…]
Exploring the Ecological Impacts of Wildfire in Coniferous Forests in Sierra Nevada
Zhi’s ecological research in the central Sierra Nevadas explores the role of wildfire in forest ecosystems. Large, severe fires have been increasing in recent decades and present major economic and ecological challenges in the western United States. Through collaborating with US Forest Service researchers and the University of California-Davis, Zhi leads a team of four Read more about Exploring the Ecological Impacts of Wildfire in Coniferous Forests in Sierra Nevada[…]