Rim to Rim Restoration representatives presented the City Council with details of a five‑year, $5,200,000 Community Wildfire Defense Grant aimed at reducing wildfire fuels along Mill Creek, Pack Creek and the Matheson wetlands and at improving flood resilience in the creek corridors.

The presentation, given by Sofia Fisher and Bryce Rogers on behalf of Rim to Rim Restoration, outlined how the award — a federal U.S. Forest Service grant subawarded through state channels — will pay contractors, support revegetation and fund public outreach and education intended to make mitigation durable after the grant period ends.

Rim to Rim said the project is a partnership that includes Moab Valley Fire Department, Grand County, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Science Moab, Moab Solutions, the Nature Conservancy and city staff. “The grant period began last year, so it’ll run through 2029,” project staff told the council, and they described both the fuel‑removal work completed so far and how they prioritize sites.

The presenters said they apply a weighted scoring matrix that emphasizes hazard (fuel loading, ladder/fine fuels and downstream flood risk), proximity to critical infrastructure and creek corridors, population/flood‑plain impacts and the need for repeated maintenance (invasive species like Russian olive resprout). Bryce Rogers said properties that score 90 or above “automatically tip us into what we call a multi‑agency hitch,” describing recent multi‑crew work in the Pack Creek corridor involving Utah Conservation Corps, State Lands, Moab Valley Fire and other crews.

Rim to Rim reported that, combining assessed parcels and completed work, the project has touched roughly 365 acres to date (assessed, flagged, or completed). The organization described a modest revegetation budget within the grant and said it expects larger revegetation efforts to follow once fuels removal establishes planting conditions. Rogers noted the work has co‑benefits for flood mitigation because native vegetation helps stabilize banks and reduce incision.

Outreach is a core part of the grant. Sofia Fisher, Rim to Rim’s fire and flood outreach specialist, said the outreach goal is “to help make sure that this mitigation work ... can continue well after the actual grant ends.” Staff described mailers, social media, tabling at events, a branded “Firebreak” awareness campaign and a Creek Stewardship Working Group that meets with city and county partners. The group is using new lidar flown in March to compare 2018 and 2025 conditions and to identify erosional and vegetative changes that inform site prioritization.

On funding, presenters said the $5.2 million award mostly flows to contractual partners (wetland crews, science/outreach partners and Moab Valley Fire for much of the on‑the‑ground removal). Rim to Rim said the grant includes modest funds for the City of Moab for outreach and maintenance support — staff identified an allocation of roughly $650,000 over five years in the grant budget for maintenance and partner support, but said exact contracting details will continue to be worked out with the city and county.

Council members asked about how Rim to Rim prioritizes public versus private parcels, revegetation in active flood corridors and coordination with city projects. Presenters said public and private parcels are scored by the same matrix; Pack Creek, which is largely private, tends to rank higher because of density and nearby infrastructure. They said revegetation will be iterative and will rely on Grand County weed crews and outreach to private landowners. Rogers also told the council that during recent removal work crews discovered sedimentation in a UDOT box culvert downstream of SR‑191 and that Rim to Rim had notified UDOT, which has moved that item up its priority list.

The presenters left informational packets with councilmembers and encouraged staff and residents to contact Rim to Rim with properties they want assessed. They also requested continued coordination with city crews for access and work scheduling.

The council did not take a formal vote on the presentation. The item concluded with staff offering to provide follow‑up materials, including the lidar and the project’s prioritization matrix, on request.

Ending: Rim to Rim and partners told the council that the grant is intended to be a multi‑year, partnership‑driven program focused on sustained maintenance as well as one‑time fuel reductions; the group asked the city to continue coordinating on access, outreach and future funding sources.