Traditional silvicultural practices to regenerate quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) focus on inducing asexual suckering, but these methods can reduce genetic diversity over time and are limited to existing stands. Planting of nursery-grown aspen seedlings for restoration has proven effective in mined-land reclamation in the boreal forests of Canada, but protocols have yet to be developed for the western US where seedling establishment may be more challenging. Here, results from an ongoing study testing seedling-based aspen restoration in southern Utah will be discussed. Survival during the first two years varied substantially between planting locations, and mortality was dominated by rodent herbivory and early summer drought. Additionally, uneven responses among seedling sources in the nursery suggest further protocol optimization will be necessary for western US aspen. Despite these initial challenges, further refinement of seedling-based aspen restoration techniques in the western US could prove to be a useful supplemental tool for increasing resilience through active management of this keystone species.