Studies indicate that a mature juniper can guzzle up to 30 gallons of water per day. This can be problematic when the trees encroach into neighboring sagebrush steppe where water resources are already stretched to the limit. Aside from cornering the market on water, invading junipers also shade out understory bunchgrasses, forbs and shrubs, leaving the cupboard bare for many species.
Historically, juniper and sagebrush steppe formed a mosaic across the Western landscape, but decades of fire suppression have allowed junipers to spread unchecked. In southern Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is leading an ongoing effort to remove encroaching junipers from sagebrush steppe in the Goose Creek area. RMEF contributed a total of $73,000 to the effort in 2020, 2022 and 2025, which helped IDFG lop and scatter junipers across nearly 8,000 acres.
Many wildlife species—from elk, mule deer and pronghorns to greater sage grouse, bats and bumblebees—benefit from the effort, which increases soil moisture and encourages the growth of nutritious grasses, forbs and shrubs. Removing dense juniper stands from sagebrush steppe also helps reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire