Restoration Science Team

Our nationally recognized expertise in studying dynamic systems such as the Gila and Virgin rivers and in working to bring stakeholders together to make informed, scientifically sound restoration planning decisions makes us uniquely suited to implement this project. 

Tom Dudley (UCSB/UNR and SWFL TAC) – riparian & aquatic ecology, restoration

Kevin Hultine (Desert Botanical Garden) – plant ecology & ecophysiology, water use

Matt Johnson (Colorado Plateau Research Station - Norther Arizona University and SWFL TAC) – avian ecology, SWFL and yellow-billed cuckoo specialist

Bruce Orr (Stillwater Sciences) – riparian ecology, eco-hydrology models, GIS

Glen Leverich (Stillwater Sciences) –hydrology models, geomorphology

  • The Restoration Science Team includes biologists and hydrologists from Stillwater Sciences who are conducting an Ecohydrological Analysis of the Virgin River watershed in order to determine where restoration can provide successful establishment of native vegetation required by the willow flycatcher, and where the probability of near-future scouring is relatively low.

Dr. Jim Hatten (Columbia River Research Laboratory, USGS)

Kumud Acharya/Ben Conrad (DRI) – vegetation/soil, invertebrates, hydrology 

Heather Bateman (ASU) – vertebrate ecology

Dan Bean (Colorado Dept. of Agric. & President, Tamarisk Coalition) – entomology, biocontrol

Matthew Brooks (USGS) – vegetation, fire dynamics

Tim Brown (Time-Science) – remote sensing, data presentation

Carla D’Antonio (UCSB) – restoration, soils 

Phil Dennison (U of Utah) – remote sensing, fire/landscape processes

Dale Devitt (UNLV) – plant water use and hydrology

Robert Dobbs (Utah Div. Wildlife Resources) - avian surveys and habitat assessment

Gail Drus (UCSB) – fire ecology

Jonathan Friedman (USGS) – plant biology, fluvial geomorphology

Kevin Grady/ Tom Whitham (NAU) – plant ecophysiology, restoration, climate change

Levi Jamison (U of AZ) – biocontrol monitoring, wildlife habitat

Mike Kuehn (UCSB/Western Foundation for Vertebrate Zoology) – avian ecology

Ken Lair (NRCS and SWFL TAC) – riparian restoration specialist

Chris Neale / Bob Pack (USU RS/GIS) –remote sensing, spatial analysis

Steve Ostoja (USGS) – plant ecology, mammalogy

Pat Shafroth (USGS and SWFL TAC) – plant ecology

Charles van Riper (USGS) – avian ecology

 

Agency or Advisory roles and Implementation partners:

Greg Beatty (USFWS and SWFL TAC) – lead, SWFL Recovery Plan 

Deborah Campbell (VR SWFL Collaborative) – project management

Tim Carlson (WFF and SWFL TAC) – policy & communication

Sean Collier/Robert Johnson/ Janet Monaco (SNWA) 

Curt Deuser (NPS) – invasive plant control, restoration

Matt Hamilton (BLM) – restoration ecologist/project manager

Jerry Keir/Rob Vaghini (GBI) – restoration, vegetation management  

Stacy Kolegas (Tamarisk Coalition and SWFL TAC) – policy & project management

Elise McAllister (Partners in Conservation) - restoration coordinator

Mary Anne McLeod/Ann Pellegrini (SWCA and SWFL TAC) – SWFL field biologists

Steve Meismer (VRP) - restoration coordinator

Doug Merkler/Jarrod Edmunds (USDA-NRCS) – soils, upland geomorphology, restoration

Theresa Olson (BOR and SWFL TAC) – SWFL specialist

Fred Phillips (FP Consulting and SWFL TAC) - restoration

Ken Rock (VVWD) - water resources/manager

Elaine York (TNC) - watershed/biodiversity planning