The Roan Plateau rises above Rifle, just north of I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction, Colorado. Unusual oil shale geology coupled with dramatic changes in elevation (from 6,640 feet at the base of East Fork Parachute Creek to over 9,200 feet on the plateau top) create favorable conditions for a host of species from mountain lions and bears to extremely rare plants. Several creeks drain the plateau and create isolated havens for some of the most genetically pure Colorado River cutthroat trout populations in the state as well as breathtaking waterfalls. From the Parachute penstemon, an official Candidate for Endangered Species Act protection known from only five sites in the world (two of which are on the Roan Plateau), to the hanging garden sullivantia, which makes the seeps and waterfalls of the Plateau even more picturesque, to the intense perfume of the aptly-named fragrant horsemint, this place is home to at least nine rare plant species.

The Bureau of Land Management manages this special area, and unfortunately the agency faces mounting pressure to allow the oil and gas drilling that is pervasive along the base of the plateau to creep up to the top as well. As part of the Save the Roan Plateau Coalition, we have united with citizens of Garfield County, outfitters, and other conservation groups to preserve this special place as an island of wildness in an area increasingly impacted by the oil and gas industry.