(435) 259-6670 info@revegetation.org

Who we are

History & Growth

The seeds for Rim to Rim Restoration (RRR) were planted during work at Mill Creek Canyon during the late 1990s, with Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) acting as the fiscal sponsor for the Canyon Community Awareness and Restoration Partnership.  After several years, that collaboration became an organization and Rim to Rim Restoration applied for 501c3 status to continue and expand those early efforts.  Permanent non-profit status was issued in 2007.   

 

In the very early days, RRR founders worked with Moab’s Teen Summer Work Program bringing local youth into the canyon to identify trees and shrubs, remove invasive olives and define active trails.  Over the course of several summers in the late 1990s, native and exotic plants in the canyon were mapped, cottonwood trees were protected from beavers and over 200 Russian olives were successfully removed by kids with hand tools.  In 2003, RRR began work in the lower part of the watershed responding to the need for invasive removal and native plant revegetation in more populated areas.   As of 2018 native plants have successfully regenerated over 150 acres of land thick with Russian olive along the stream in Moab.

​In the last 10 years we have expanded our focus from work in Mill Creek canyon to locations throughout SE and Central Utah in riparian areas and upland sites on public and private properties.  Since 2007 RRR has collected vegetation response monitoring data to foster a better understanding of the impacts of our work.  Our collaborative work with the SE Utah Riparian Partnership has expanded to include a focus on documenting conditions at past project sites in coordination with various state and federal land managers to help inform future projects and planning.

​In 2009 the Mayberry Native Plant Propagation Center was conceived as a project of RRR.  The Plant Propagation Center tests and grows regionally sourced seed, and produces plants for revegetation on public and private land in the Upper Colorado Plateau. It is working to fill a critical gap in the growing need for Colorado Plateau sourced materials for regional land management and plant reestablishment efforts.

​Rim to Rim evolved from a passion for finding ways to effectively care for and improve the plant communities in the delicate high desert of the Colorado Plateau.  Increasing visitor numbers have made our efforts even more relevant today than in the 1990s, and our commitment to collaboration, regeneration, and our community are stronger than ever. 

Our efforts are funded through grants, donations, partnerships and collaborations.

Location

Rim to Rim Restoration works in the Upper Colorado Plateau throughout SE and Central Utah, and in locations in Colorado.   Our area of the Upper Colorado Plateau is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, with only 6 – 10” of annual precipitation.  The Colorado River is a central feature, with most watersheds draining to the river through varied terrain including deep canyons, wide open valleys, mountains and plateaus.  Our office is located in Moab Utah, and we manage the Mayberry Native Plant Propagation Center 15 miles upriver from town on the banks of the Colorado. 

Partners and Collaborators

All of Rim to Rim’s projects are collaborative in nature – regenerating native plant communities crosses boundaries.  The following entities are partners in projects coordinated by Rim to Rim, or work with Rim to Rim in various partnerships including the SE Utah Riparian Partnership (link to that part of the page)

Bureau of Land Management: Moab Field Office

RRR provides restoration planning and project management technical assistance for the local BLM field office, as well as works to find appropriate plant materials and grow them for the region

Bureau of Land Management: Colorado Plateau Native Plant Materials Program

RRR works with the CPNPP to help explore species useful in regional restoration efforts as well as to test growing seeds in a way that is viable for large scale production

National Park Service: South East Utah Group

Through a cooperative agreement, RRR provides technical assistance for restoration planning and also grows plants and seed for NPS projects.

Forestry, Fire, and State Lands: Sovereign Lands & WUI

RRR works with FFSL to meet various land management goals in riparian areas along the mainstem Colorado and side drainages like Mill Creek and Castle Creek.

The Nature Conservancy

TNC holds the conservation easement for the Mayberry Native Plant Propagation Center, and also is a partner in many collaborative efforts that RRR participates in.

US Geological Survey, SW Biological Science Center

The Mayberry Native Plant Propagation Center houses the USGS’s first large scale attempt at growing biocrust for use in restoration projects in the SW.

Utah Conservation Corps

The UCC helps RRR and other collaborator implement projects along the River, at Mayberry and in various locations

City of Moab

The City of Moab works with RRR in the riparian areas along Mill and Pack Creeks in town.

Grand County

The Grand County Weed Department and RRR work together whenever possible with other partners and collaborators to address invasive species issues across property lines and administrative boundaries.