Restoration of Ecosystem Health in Southwest Forests Project

This project was initiated in 1995 to develop the scientific basis for ecological restoration of southwestern forests and woodlands at both operational and landscape scales. The project worked specifically in four project areas in the Greater Mount Trumbull Ecosystem within the Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument: piñon-juniper restoration, piñon-juniper herbaceous revegetation, cheatgrass abatement and monitoring, and ponderosa pine restoration. This project was an innovative collaboration between Department of Interior (BLM, NPS, BIA) and state (Northern Arizona University, Game and Fish, State Forestry). The forest restoration treatment five year later, however, shown increase in tree mortality rate of older ponderosa pine trees, which suggested changes in treatment methods.