Together, these three agencies worked together to implement immediate actions that support wildlife habitat and rural landowners in response to these fires, and collaboratively develop a long-term strategy to conserve and restore wildlife habitats, enhance wildfire preparedness and response, and support working lands in Eastern Washington’s shrubsteppe landscape. This collective effort is the Washington Shrubsteppe Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WSRRI).

Once covering more than 10 million acres in Eastern Washington, 60 to 80 percent of our state’s shrubsteppe landscape has been lost or degraded. This is a diverse landscape, with large expanses of arid mixed shrub and grasslands, scattered permanent and seasonal wetlands, riparian areas, sand dunes, and basalt cliffs and talus. It provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife and plant species, some of which only occur here. Many of these dependent species are federally or state listed as endangered or threatened, and yet more are candidates for listing. This landscape is home to people who derive their livelihoods from these lands and provide essential stewardship and conservation of fish and wildlife habitats.

The WSRRI is informed and advised by the diverse interests of Washington's shrubsteppe landscape, including Tribal entities and public and private partners.