Yampa Valley Sustainability Council has concluded another year of successfully implementing restoration projects in our forests, wetlands and riverscapes, all with the support of this great community. We are so grateful to the 200 volunteers who joined us this year to get their hands dirty and share our vision for a climate-resilient Yampa Valley.

Though climate change is bringing warmer temperatures, variable snowpack and more intense weather events to the Yampa Valley, healthier landscapes can help offset the anticipated impacts. By restoring the natural environment using natural climate solutions, we can make meaningful changes locally that will better prepare us for an uncertain future.

To help restore our forests after wildfires, YVSC has been working with the U.S. Forest Service to both plant trees and collect reforestation data. In May, 30 volunteers planted over 1,000 lodgepole pine seedlings at the Muddy Slide Fire burn scar, transforming a barren landscape into the beginnings of a new, healthy forest. Throughout the summer and fall, volunteers collected data at over 200 acres of burn scar that tell us how well our forests are regenerating and whether future planting projects are needed. These efforts are vital to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems, which will continue to sequester carbon and provide functioning watersheds.

In August and September, we continued our work in California Park restoring degraded wet meadows. These ecosystems are vital for drought resiliency, carbon storage and wildlife habitat for animals like sandhill cranes, boreal toads and greater sage-grouse. Erosion has disconnected these wet meadows from the floodplain, resulting in decreased water retention and loss of wetland vegetation. By partnering with the U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and YVSC volunteers, we successfully installed 65 rock detention structures that will raise the water table, improve hydrological functions, and reestablish 5.5 acres of wet meadows.

Throughout the fall, YVSC implemented the fifth year of the Yampa River Forest Restoration Project, which seeks to mitigate rising river temperatures by planting narrowleaf cottonwoods and other riparian species along the Yampa and Elk rivers. Our ReTree events drew over 100 community volunteers to steward some of our most precious resources in the valley. In total, we planted 655 trees along a third-of-a-mile of riverbank. As temperatures continue to rise and snowpack fluctuates, these trees will ensure that our rivers stay healthy in the face of a changing climate.

We at YVSC would like to thank the community for supporting these projects. Whether it was collecting data in the woods, building rock structures or planting trees, we deeply appreciate the time and energy donated to our work. In addition, we’d like to thank the many Rocky Mountain Youth Corps crews and local businesses who added invaluable capacity to our projects while learning about the value of conservation and stewardship.

If you missed the chance to work with us or would like to continue to volunteer, YVSC will continue our restoration projects for many years to come. Sign up for our newsletter at yvsc.org/sign-up-for-our-newsletter/ to learn about ways to get involved throughout the year. Together, we can continue our mission to build a sustainable and resilient Yampa Valley region.

Ryan Messinger is the YVSC natural climate solutions project manager.