Sean Claffey is the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Conservation Coordinator at the Nature Conservancy, a role that places him at the center of one of the West’s most overlooked but critically important ecosystems: the sagebrush steppe. Based in Dillon, Montana, Sean works across public and private lands to protect and restore this sprawling, foundational landscape that serves as habitat for countless species, supports rural economies, and connects the region’s valleys and mountain ranges. Through his leadership in the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership—a collaborative effort uniting agencies, landowners, and nonprofits—Sean helps ensure that the health of this “land in between” doesn’t fall through the cracks.

In this conversation, Sean and I dig into the complex threats facing sagebrush country, from invasive grasses and wildfire to conifer encroachment and land conversion. We talk about how fire suppression and ecological shifts have allowed evergreens like Douglas fir and juniper to overtake sagebrush, and how Sean’s team is using a mix of prescribed burns, manual thinning, and innovative partnerships with local mills to restore balance to the landscape. He also shares how they’re engaging young people in hands-on restoration work, creating pathways for rural youth to connect with the land and gain meaningful employment.

Sean brings a unique blend of scientific insight, community-mindedness, and boots-on-the-ground experience to this work, and he’s quick to credit the collaborative culture of southwest Montana for making so much progress possible. From low-tech wet meadow restoration to building a more resilient restoration economy, this is a hopeful, grounded conversation about how conservation can succeed when it centers people, place, and purpose.

If you’re a new listeners and want to go deeper on this subject, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to my earlier episode with Matt Cahill who gives an excellent crash course on the Sagebrush Sea and the epsiode with Austin Rempel and Nancy Smith, who dig deep into riparian restoration in Montana.  

But for this episode, be sure the check out the webpage and episode notes for some excellent videos about Sean’s work and links to everything we discuss.  Thanks for listening. 

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• Sean Claffey
• Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership
• Matt Cahill M&P episode
• Nancy Smith and Austin Rempel M&P episode
• Full episode notes, video, and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sean-claffey/

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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.

During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond.

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:26 - Intro and Ed’s love of Dillon
• 4:14 - The Sagebrush Sea
• 7:19 - Pressures on the sea
• 9:42 - Conifer expansion, the main reason for grassland reduction
• 12:00 - Ecological, environmental, economical
• 17:52 - Working with the timber industry
• 21:59 - Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership, not just another NGO
• 26:41 - Sean’s first priorities with SW MT Sagebrush
• 30:11 - The way the water should flow
• 34:47 - Youth programming
• 40:53 - Cheatgrass, an actual cheater
• 43:47 - Containing cheatgrass
• 45:01 - Cheatgrass and fire
• 47:02 - Working with private landowners
• 52:58 - Connecting with the community
• 58:21 - A little more about Sean
• 1:01:10 - Career advice for people who want to make the world a better place
• 1:03:54 - Book recs and life recs

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