Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) seedling recruitment is limited by seed production and dispersal in space and time, by genetic constraints of specific ecotypes, and by environmental factors that include weather, microsite attributes, soil microbiota, herbivory, and inter- and intraspecific competition. Establishing this species from seed on degraded wildlands requires use of site-adapted ecotypes, manipulation of seedbed conditions to provide favorable microsites, and reduction of early competition from both annual grass weeds and seeded species.