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PLANT SCIENCES CENTER
of Sierra Vista, Arizona
History
The Plant Sciences Center was established to address environmental
challenges confronted by growing communities. The creation of the Center was made
possible by the unique partnership of the City of Sierra Vista Plant Sciences Task Force. Through the
Task Force the 15,000 square foot Center was built in less than eight months. This
required the acquisition of land, building of the facility and hiring of Center staff, all
with donated funds and in-kind contributions. This action led to the salvage of over 2400
protected native plants.
Purpose
The purpose of the Plant Sciences Center is to focus attention on the
native plant challenge by developing and demonstrating methods, in an educational
environment, to rescue, nurture, and reintroduce salvaged native plants into appropriate
local and regional public landscapes.
The Center initiative relates directly to continuing efforts to
conserve water, reduce pollutants, and educate citizens on alternative landscaping
techniques. This is the first, and currently the only, public-private partnership in
Arizona established specifically to salvage native plants, and subsequently reuse those
plants in public landscape projects.
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Location
The Plant Sciences Center is located at:
The University of
Arizona South Campus
1140 N. Colombo
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Telephone: (520) 458-8278 ext 141
email: psc@ag.arizona.edu
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Partnership Sponsors
Arizona Department of Transportation
City of Sierra Vista
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The University of Arizona South
U.S. Army, Fort Huachuca
Sierra Vista
PLANT SCIENCES TASK FORCE
A
community partnership to
preserve, protect, and restore our native plants
Purpose
The purpose of the Plant Sciences Task Force is to develop regional
solutions through an intergovernmental forum to conserve water by focusing attention on
the native plant challenge and developing methods, in an educational environment, to
rescue, nurture, and reintroduce salvaged native plants into appropriate local and
regional public landscapes.
Accomplishments
 | Won the 1998 "Governor’s Pride in Arizona" Award for Environmental
Leadership
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| Formed a unique public/private partnership to preserve, protect, and restore native
plants - the group includes State, Federal, and City government staffers; elected
officials; environmentalists; ranchers; businessmen; academics; and private citizens
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| Partnered with the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of
Corrections to salvage native plants from 40 miles of state roadsides – to date 2500
native plants have been salvaged with a retail value of over $50,000
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| Planned and initiated the conversion of 200 acres of irrigated alfalfa at the City
wastewater facility to native grasses - this project may help revegetate the San Pedro
River Valley with native grasses
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| Used community volunteers to landscape 3 miles of city roadside with salvaged native
plants: saved $81,000 in landscaping costs; $14,000 in annual operation and maintenance
costs; and a total of 3,088,800 gallons of water (9.5 acre feet) annually over traditional
landscaping methods |
Plant Sciences Task Force
Harold Vangilder, City Councilman, Chairman
Bob Blanchard, City Councilman, Vice Chair
Patrick J. Bell, Staff Liaison
Wally Armer, AZ Cattle Growers
Bill Branan, National Audubon Research Ranch
Robert Call, UofA Cooperative Extension
Cado Daily, UofA Cooperative Extension
Laura Dupee, US Forest Service
Paul Hardy, The Nature Conservancy
Judi Lamareaux, UAS Foundation
Dale Lopshire, Southeastern AZ Contractors
Robert Leonard, UofA College of Agriculture
Holly Richter, The Nature Conservancy
Eugene Sander, UofA College of Agriculture
Jeanne Wade, US Forest Service
Catherine Wertz, Chulo Canyon Seed
Jack Whetstone, Bureau of Land Management
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