**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHILE CROPLAND SOIL HEALTH-ECOSYSTEM LINKS HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY INVESTIGATED, KNOWLEDGE ON SOIL HEALTH AND RANGELAND VEGETATION RESILIENCE IS LACKING. OUR PROPOSAL WILL FILL THIS GAP BY EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF MULTIPLE INDICATORS OF SOIL AND RANGELAND HEALTH. OUR PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE A) UNDERSTANDING HOW FIRE REGIMES, INVASIVE SPECIES AND RESTORATION TREATMENTS CONTROL SOIL AND BIOCRUST HEALTH; B) LINKING FIRE IMPACTS ON SOIL HEALTH TO VARIATION IN VEGETATION COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTIVITY; AND C) CHARACTERIZING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EXISTING RANGELAND AND SOIL HEALTH METRICS TO FORM A MORE HOLISTIC OVERVIEW OF CONSTRAINTS ON PLANT GROWTH AND POST-FIRE SITE RESTORABILITY. WE WILL ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES BY COMPARING SOILS, BIOCRUSTS, VEGETATION COMPOSITION AND ABOVE-GROUND BIOMASS IN LONG-TERM PLOTS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON STATE. PLOTS HAVE EXPERIENCED VARYING WILDFIRE IMPACTS, GRAZING, SPECIES INVASIONS AND POST-WILDFIRE RESTORATION. BY INVESTIGATING THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORKS OF RANGELAND AND SOIL HEALTH, WE WILL MEET THE USDA'S PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY GOALS OF CONNECTING RANGELAND ECOSYSTEM AND SOIL HEALTH INDICATORS TO VEGETATION PRODUCTIVITY AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE, ENHANCING THE DELIVERY OF KEY SUPPORTING AND REGULATING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, TESTING A NEW APPROACH FOR RANGELANDS THAT CAN GUIDE MANAGEMENT, AND LIMITING DEGRADATION AND THREATS TO THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF RANGELANDS.