Utah Issues
What Can You Do?
Volunteer with the Grand Canyon Trust and help us extend our reach and positive influence on the ground. We need your help in 2011 with fencing two new reference areas.
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Identifying habitat gold standards in the three forests of southern Utah
The Trust’s multi-year Reference Areas Project is meeting with continued success. During 2007–2008, we had located healthy examples of:
In 2009, the Trust proposed nine of these healthy sites for long-term protection and maintenance as reference areas (“habitat gold standards”) on the three national forests of southern Utah. In 2010, one of the most useful, a combined aspen / riparian area / beaver habitat / meadow site (Left Fork Huntington Creek on the Manti-La Sal) became the first reference area to have a formal MOU between the Forest Service and the Trust for protection and study.
A 4-day “bio-blitz” involved ten scientists surveying species and conditions on South Hollow, an upcoming reference area west of Escalante. Two months later, 21 Whitman College students surveyed ant mounds and ran vegetation transects on South Hollow and on the summer-grazed Dixie NF. Owned by a recently retired University of Utah biology professor, Dennis Bramble, the 160-acre South Hollow site is bordered by Dixie NF. Eighteen years ago, Dr. Bramble began limiting cattle grazing to a few weeks late in fall and has been tracking recovery ever since. A report of surveys on South Hollow shows how much can be learned from one reference area.
These reference areas will help the Forest Service and users understand the potential conditions under conservation-based management as compared to current management, which includes such activities as ORV use, water diversions, livestock grazing, riparian camping, and sagebrush removal.
Your donations and membership dues make our research, monitoring, and restoration work in Utah possible.
