The Land

Utah’s West Desert is a remote, sprawling collection of magnificent landscapes containing a series of distinctive “island” ranges including the Deep Creek Mountains, the House Range, the Wah-Wahs, Notch Peak, and more. Spanning several counties and hundreds of miles of remote roads, many of the regions spectacular features are protected as wilderness study areas (WSAs) and managed by the local BLM. Limited resources and expansive territory combine for a particular need to recruit volunteers to ensure proper monitoring and maintenance of the West Desert’s diverse and unique landscapes.

The Work

Our crew will travel far and wide across the West Desert to install primary wilderness study area boundary signs at all of the lower elevation WSAs accessible in mid-spring. The large declarative signs stand on (2) 4×4 posts which are installed by hand and secured using concrete. In addition, volunteers will monitor for off-road vehicle and camping compliance at all sites visited, remediating where appropriate. GPS-taggeds maps will be provided to all volunteers.  5-8 spaces are available.

Work tasks will vary by need, and are slated to include:

• primary WSA boundary sign installation;
• campsite/route compliance remediation;
• manual reclamation of visually disturbed surface

Our Objective: To install primary WSA boundary signs across the West Desert to ensure clarity of the location of protected areas. To remediate existing impacts resulting from non permitted travel and camping.

Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.

• Friday, June 7th: Optional early arrival and camping.
• Saturday, June 8th: Day 1. Orientation. Travel to initial sites.
• Sunday, June 9th: Breakfast. Day 2 begins.

Project Rating 

Level 2 – Our most common trip incorporates mid- to heavy-lifting, work in remote landscapes at varying elevations, an increased diversity of tool use, and an emphasis on physical fitness and hiking competency.

Camping & Meals

Specific location of camping site(s) will be provided in the Welcome Letter sent to registered volunteers.

SUWA provides (1) dinner, (1) breakfast, and snacks during the project. Volunteers are responsible for all additional meals during their stay.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Participants are responsible for their own food, water and camping gear as well as transportation to and from the project site(s). Volunteers should plan to be away from camp all day each of the work days. A recommended pack list will be sent along with the project Welcome Letter two weeks prior to the start date.

Registration

A Volunteer Agreement is required for this project. 

When we have received your form, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within 5 working days of submission. The confirmation e-mail will indicate whether you have been placed on the “project roster” or a “waiting list.”

Three weeks before the start of the trip, you will receive an RSVP to confirm your participation. Individuals on the Waitlist will be contacted if spaces open due to cancellation.

Two weeks before the project start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive a Welcome Letter, with a comprehensive itinerary, including: driving instructions, a Project Map (for mobile devices), a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and additional information in a Pre-Departure email.

If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please don’t hesitate to contact our program coordinator: volunteer@suwa.org  or  (435) 259-9151.

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