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 to assess beaver habitat on the three forests; measure elk and livestock browse of cottonwood, aspen, and willow; and fence a couple of great reference areas.
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Managing the three national forests in Southern Utah to protect their heritage
The Dixie, Fishlake, and Manti-La Sal National Forests occupy almost four million acres above southern Utah’s famed red rock canyons. These forests consist of craggy cliffs, high plateau and alpine meadows, lifeblood creeks and streams, aspen stands, grasslands, sagebrush communities, ponderosa pine, and conifer forests.
Their management has historically focused almost exclusively on facilitating livestock grazing, off-road vehicles, logging, coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and poorly-regulated recreational use. Consequently, we are encouraging these national forests to shift management focus to the protection of the intergenerational, national, public, natural heritage and ecosystem values of these forests. Climate change (e.g., higher temperatures, less precipitation) only heightens the need for rethinking National Forest management on the Colorado Plateau. For instance,
- Soil needs to be stabilized with native plants.
- Cottonwood, aspen, and willow youngsters must be able to grow into the overstory instead of being repeatedly browsed back.
- The killing of sagebrush for cattle forage (often under the guise of “wildlife habitat” or “restoration”) needs to cease.
- Beaver need to be able to return home so they can work their engineering magic restoring creeks and aquifers
- Sage grouse need tall grass for cover, flowers for insects (for chicks), and wet meadows for late summer brooding.
Major Projects in 2011
- Beaver restoration [overview | project components]
- Cottonwood, aspen, and willow restoration [overview | project components]
- Reference area establishment and use [overview | project components]
- Grazing management participation
Your donations and membership dues make our research, monitoring, and restoration work in Utah possible.
