suwa, Author at Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance - Page 29 of 132

  • Trump Administration Supports Expanding a Coal Mine at the Base of Bryce Canyon National Park

    July 13th, 2018

    Proposed approval is yet another signal of the Administration’s lack of support for our public lands

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 13, 2018

    Contact:
    Stephen Bloch, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, (801) 428-3981

    SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Today, the Trump Administration once again turned its back on protecting our nation’s public lands by supporting the proposed Alton mine expansion, which is dangerously close to Bryce Canyon National Park. If the proposal is approved, it will increase the mine by 3,600 acres– the equivalent of over 2,700 football fields– to access an additional 45-million tons of coal, which is two-million tons of coal each year. The coal strip mine expansion would occur only 10 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. Among other impacts, it would potentially destroy breeding grounds relied on by the southernmost population of Greater Sage Grouse in North America.

    Suggested approval of this coal mine comes at a time when Utah is moving toward a clean energy economy. Salt Lake City, Moab, Park City and Summit County all committed to 100% clean energy goals and the state’s rooftop solar industry continues to boom. The Trump Administration didn’t consider these factors or the unprecedented amount — over 280,000 public comments–  filed in opposition of the proposal.

    The final environmental impact study from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is forthcoming. There will be a 30 day public comment period following the release of the study.

    The below statement is a reaction from Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Sierra Club:

    “The Trump Administration has repeatedly put corporate interests ahead of the American people in issues of public land management, so this is a disappointment but certainly not a surprise. Our organizations remain strongly committed to protecting the climate and the landscape, environment and cultural resources in southern Utah. Some places are simply too special to mine—this is one of them.  The doorstep to Bryce Canyon National Park should be preserved for the benefit of all visitors, rather than turned over to the highest corporate bidder.”

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  • Become a Crew Leader for SUWA’s Service Program!

    June 29th, 2018

    Thanks to the commitment of our Field Volunteers, 2018 is proving to be our most active and productive service season to date. Our crews continue to expand our work across Utah where impacts to our wild and public lands are most severe. We have traveled from the mountains of the West Desert, across the fractured landscapes of southern Utah’s imperiled national monuments, and as far as our northern wilderness.

    As we move through a summer of service work in Bears Ears National Monument (view our complete event calender here), we look ahead to a busy fall season. We’re preparing for project work across the state: Bears Ears, Book Cliffs, Canaan Mountain Wilderness, Cedar Mesa, and the Deep Creek Mountains. Our crews will be active nearly every weekend now through early November – and we need your help!

    Beginning this fall we will recruit, train and outfit select individuals to lead service projects in Utah. SUWA’s crew leaders will work with our Program Director and collaborating land managers to increase our program’s capacity while ensuring our productive presence across Utah.

    Do you have experience guiding outdoor groups? Would you like to learn more about what it takes to manage fieldwork while navigating some of our state’s most magnificent landscapes? Several diverse opportunities are available – backcountry to front country – and we are looking for a few committed leaders to work with us beginning this fall.

    Take the next step in service and be a part of our first class of crew leaders as we expand our efforts and ensure SUWA’s watchful on-the-ground presence across our treasured landscapes.

    Prospective crew leaders should submit a brief statement of interest (up to a page), along with a resume of relevant experience, to volunteer@suwa.org. This is a volunteer position. You may email preliminary inquiries to the same address or call (435) 259-9151.

    As always, thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to protect wild Utah.

    Jeremy Lynch
    Service Program Director

  • Into the Field: Volunteer with SUWA this Summer

    May 24th, 2018

    Greetings from Southern Utah –

    Summer is upon us and our Field Crews are gearing up for a season of high elevation volunteering! Several spots remain open on our first batch of June-July-August Projects and I invite you to join the ranks of our 111 volunteers who have put in over 1,255 service hours to date in 2018! Scroll down for an overview of our early to midsummer project calendar:

    House Range Service Project
    June 2nd & 3rd

    High above the West Desert, Notch and Swasey Peaks have become hot spots for user impacts on nearby Wilderness Study Areas. Work with us to address motorized compliance issues and illegal campsite impacts within and along the Notch Peak and Swasey Mountain WSAs.

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    Bears Ears Service Weekend Part I
    July 21st & 22nd

    Join our crews working to improve infrastructure adjacent to a significant cultural site, where increased visitation is dramatically changing the landscape and jeopardizing the integrity of the resource. We will focus on establishing naturalized boundaries for vehicle and foot access to the site and trailhead, in an ongoing effort to contain impacts.

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    Bears Ears Service Weekend Part II
    July 28th & 29th

    Return to Elk Ridge high above the Dark Canyon Wilderness. We will work with a Forest Service Biologist and field crew to install exclosure fencing to protect emerging aspen shoots from browsing elk and other ungulates. We will be camping at our favorite meadow adjacent to a Forest Service cabin a meandering way down from the Bears Ears buttes.

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    La Sal Mountains Service Project
    August 11th & 12th

    Our annual trip to the La Sal Mountains outside of Moab, Utah brings us back to Medicine Lake for a weekend campout and two days of trailwork. Balancing service with protections, this project delves into the world of trailbuilding.

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    To apply for a particular project, fill out our Volunteer Form, or contact volunteer@suwa.org. As always, please feel free to reach me directly with any queries, questions or calls to action: (435) 259-9151.

    Thank you for your ongoing support and service working with SUWA to protect wild Utah on the ground. I hope to see you high above the desert this summer!

    Jeremy Lynch

    Jeremy Lynch

    Service Program Director
    Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

  • SUWA Launches Statewide, DC Media Campaign on San Rafael Swell Bill: Watch the TV Spot

    May 9th, 2018

    On May 9, 2018, Senator Orrin Hatch and Rep. John Curtis of Utah introduced “The Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018” — a bill that would significantly impact YOUR public lands in Emery County, Utah.

    In response, SUWA is launching a statewide television ad campaign to raise awareness of the impacts and implications of the new bill on Utah wilderness. The TV ad is complemented by digital and print ads in Washington, DC and in Utah.

    To learn more about the bill and take action, click here.