The sagebrush biome is one of the most intact and least modified ecological regions in the world and comprises the largest contiguous open space in the lower 48 US states. In recent decades, more than a million acres of intact sagebrush ecosystems have been lost each year despite ongoing conservation efforts. Annual grass invasion, conifer expansion, and wildfires are largely responsible for these losses, which can compromise ecosystem services and threaten rural livelihoods. The collaborative Sagebrush Conservation Design aims to reduce further losses with a focus on maintaining intact and functioning sagebrush ecosystems rather than targeting the most degraded areas where actions are more costly and less effective. Forest Service scientists have been working with partners across the sagebrush biome to provide information and tools that meet these more strategic management needs. In October 2024, a collection of 20 peer-reviewed articles was published in a Special Issue of Rangeland Ecology & Management. We provide some highlights of that recently published compendium and describe ongoing and planned RMRS research specifically directed at strategic placement of woody fuel treatments to increase ecological resilience and improve outcomes of future wildfires and other disturbances. Our research indicates that post-treatment increases in perennial grasses and forbs can increase ecological resilience, but these wildland fuels can elevate rates of surface fire spread in subsequent wildfires. Spread of future fires into lower resilience or highly valued areas may result in loss or degradation from burning or impact the built environment. However, because these same fuel treatments are likely to reduce flame lengths and the incidence of crown fire, the potential for fire control in and around treated areas may be improved. We are using this information and novel spatial data products in a quantitative wildfire risk framework and employing a treatment scenario planning tool to help inform managers to determine where and how best to implement fuel treatments, including the installation and maintenance of fuel breaks, across the Great Basin and in specific Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscapes. Our findings are intended to help ensure that cost-effective treatment investments are made for conservation and fire management objectives, with the critical balance of ecological resilience and protection in mind.