©NationalParksService

Pinyon-juniper woodlands provide food for rare birds, cover for predator species and wood for Southern Utahns, and they dominate the state’s forests. But land managers face a paradox: while many pinyon-juniper species are declining due to climate stress, others are expanding into sensitive habitats, forcing difficult tradeoffs. This forest type encompasses approximately 60% — 8 million acres — of Utah’s woodlands and a significant percentage of Dixie National Forest. “It’s our most common forest type,” said Darren McAvoy, a forestry and wildland resources specialist at Utah State University Extension’s Wildland Resources Department. “It is important for so many different wildlife species, and it’s the one that we live in the most in a lot of places, especially down in St. George.” Pinyon-juniper woodlands can typically be found between 5,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation, and tend to be a “bit scrubby,” he told St. George News.