While I attended a class on weeds over the last several weeks, the instructor touched on a question I often hear from buyers or new owners of acreage: Can I plow up the sagebrush and replace it with grass? The simple answer may seem to be to cultivate the ground, but if you do that to permanent pasture or rangeland, consider a few thoughts. To cultivate the ground requires specific equipment such as a plow, large disk, and a tractor big enough to handle them. A large area of bare soil is exposed to erosion and invasion by weeds and if adverse environmental conditions exist (drought) the whole process may need to be repeated. Additionally, the seed itself can be expensive so it is certainly an investment in both time and money. You can check with the Routt County Extension office and the NRCS (Soil Conservation) for more information.