Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI)

Spanning over 10 million acres, the shrubsteppe landscape is vital for a variety of wildlife and plant species, including some endemic to the region such as Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits. It is a critical area for habitat protection and conservation for species of greatest conservation need amid increasing threats from invasive species, wildfires, land use conversion, and other impacts. The Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI) seeks to address wildlife habitat protection and restoration challenges while also supporting working lands and communities in the face of wildland fire. Wildland fire preparedness, response, and recovery are important components of this effort.

The initiative is a targeted response to the Labor Day wildfires in 2020 and unique ecological challenges faced by shrubsteppe habitats, wildlife, and human communities within the Columbia Plateau in Washington State. Initiated in 2021 with a $2.35 million biennial allocation from the Washington State Legislature, WSRRI is a collaborative, focused effort to conserve and restore wildlife habitats, enhance wildfire preparedness and response, and support working lands in Eastern Washington's shrubsteppe landscape. This funding, part of a legislative proviso, is directed to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and supplemented by an additional $1.5 million directed to the State Conservation Commission (SCC) for the replacement of fences with wildlife-friendly alternatives.

Steering committee

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) partnered with the Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Conservation Commission to form a steering committee that will meet regularly and make decisions on how to best use state funds with input from two advisory groups and associated technical teams.

Advisory groups

The WSRRI Advisory Groups will provide input to the steering committee. Following the publication of the WSRRI Long-term Strategy in March of 2024, the WSRRI Advisory Groups and other interested parties will reconvene at an All Hands meeting on October 23, 2024, at the Grant County Public Works Building from 12:30-4:30 pm. If you would like more information about WSRRI or the All-Hands meeting, please contact the WSRRI Program Manager, Christine Davis christine.davis@dfw.wa.gov or visit our website.