Phillips moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., in 2000 and opened his own office, maxing out three credit cards in the process. Fred Phillips Consulting now has a staff of eight, including HLA graduate Ann Hadley, BS ’01.

But he doesn’t expect it to get any bigger.

“We’re always looking for new projects, but I don’t want to get so big that I’m not personally involved with every project we do,” Phillips says.

He has raised more than $13 million in grants to restore sections of the Colorado River by writing applications and making proposals to all types of people, from senators to citizens.

While pursing grants is a big part of the job, Phillips is happiest when he’s getting his hands dirty moving earth, building trails and parks, and planting native trees and plants that sustain native habitat.

“We’re busy working with tons of new projects,” Phillips reports. The biggest is the Yuma East Wetlands project, a dried-up riverbed overrun with exotic vegetation, devoid of wildlife habitat.

When his firm finishes the project (he estimates he still has four years of work to do), Phillips and his staff will have put their green thumbprints on another 1,400 acres, converting another stretch of Colorado River wastelands into wetlands.

The project has added 150 jobs to the local economy. Native birds and fish have returned and area schools are using the Yuma East site as an outdoor environmental classroom.

The project, Phillips says, is “a living model for community restoration. Tribes, agencies, politicians from all over the United States and abroad are now visiting Yuma to learn from the project.”

It is something Dahl can’t quite get over. “Yes,”

he says, “Fred is a great role model for C students everywhere.”

And for anybody willing to take a chance.

Contact Phillips at fphillips@commspeed.net

We are proud of having restored more than 450 acres. But hiking the entire 1,418-acre Yuma East Wetlands project area is still a daunting experience.

As hikers approach an uncleared area, they are confronted with dense, 20-foot-high exotic reed and salt cedar, the area strewn with trash, barren of wildlife, and as flammable as a tinderbox. Even the areas that have been restored require some ongoing weeding and patrolling.

We still face several challenges. We must secure approximately $10 million to complete restoration over the next four years, while continuing our methodical approach to data gathering and scientific research.

Our success in garnering federal and state grants, along with the steadfast support of Arizona’s congressional delegation, has been the foundation of our funding strategy and will continue to be so.

We must also work to develop a funding mechanism to maintain the Yuma East Wetlands in perpetuity.

The restoration effort is monumental, but in four years, we must be in a position to maintain the wetlands. That means some maintenance and weeding.

It means some form of ranger system to patrol the area and coordinate with city, Quechan (native tribe) and county law enforcement. It means educational and recreational programming that will promote wise use and enjoyment of the East Wetlands.

We are committed to work with our partners to develop a funding mechanism that includes a private foundation endowment as well as contributions from the many partners.

Our continued success will be based on what we have done from the very beginning: living within the constraints of the Colorado River that exist and respecting the rights and concerns of the partners who serve as the strength of the Yuma East Wetlands. It will take adaptive management to balance water demand and preserve the environment on the Lower Colorado River.

Contact Fred Phillips at fphillips@commspeed.net