Prescribed Fire Councils (PFCs) are different than Prescribed Burn Associations.

A regional void of PFCs exists in the northern Rockies and northern Great Plains.

We interviewed 14 founding members of the Wyoming PFC to understand their motivations.

Three themes were identified: 1) collaboration, 2) constraints, and 3) public perceptions.

There is a need for cross-boundary engagement and strategies for dealing with narrow burn windows.

Maintaining economic sustainability requires reduced inputs such as mechanically harvested forage. It is estimated that grazing versus feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Grass mixtures of intermediate wheatgrass and meadow bromegrass produced 2 and 3 times the stockpiled forage than orchardgrass and native range, respectively.

Economic pay-back period on the initial pasture establishment costs were < 1 year for intermediate wheatgrass, meadow bromegrass/intermediate wheatgrass, and meadow bromegrass/tall fescue mixtures.

Slope is a critical factor in understanding many ecological patterns.

Although a field-based clinometer remains a useful slope evaluation tool, the ease of access and ability to accommodate variable spatial scales associated with digital elevation models (DEMs) makes them a commonly used data source for slope evaluation.

However, DEM and field-based clinometer measures of slope do not characterize topography equally.

Natural resource managers must consider the compatibility of their data before incorporating slope values from different sources for ecological analyses.

Ground truthing of remotely sensed data (i.e., DEMs) is important to ensure the data adequately represent the desired field conditions.

Native perennial grass restoration in the Great Basin is limited by low seedling establishment.

Native seedling establishment is decreased by increased competition from exotic annual grasses and altered fire regimes and have not had sufficient time to adapt.

Non-native bunchgrasses like crested wheatgrass have adapted to human management of grazing systems and possess physiological traits that increase seedling establishment in dynamic rangelands.

We review ecophysiological traits underlying crested wheatgrass success in the Great Basin and suggest these could guide native bunchgrass plant material selection and development.