On April 26, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar instructed Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and his “Balanced Resource Council” to “Be not afraid,” no new monuments would be designated without their involvement. We would almost certainly not have Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef National Parks — which first gained administrative...

Tucked between the rivers slowed by Lake Powell, a wilder, more unpredictable set of wonders can be found.  Here, in the still unprotected Glen Canyon wilderness, sandstone domes and mesas rise beyond the reaches of the Colorado and San Juan rivers – reminders of the pristine beauty that once dominated...

It’s an exciting time for friends of redrock country! The San Juan-Canyonlands region of southeastern Utah contains some of the most iconic landscapes of the American West, including the ancient ruins of Cedar Mesa, the serpentine San Juan River, and the maze of canyons that comprise White Canyon in the...

National Monument(s) for Utah? You’ve probably heard news of possible national monument designations for Utah’s San Rafael Swell and Cedar Mesa, and of the ensuing furor from some Utah officials who don’t want federal protection for these special places.  The outcry comes despite the fact that over the last 100+...