Cedar Mountain Wilderness – FULL
May 23 - May 24
***This Project Has Been Reserved For A Private Group***
The Land
The Cedar Mountain Wilderness is located in northwestern Utah. The vegetation on the upper elevations is dominated by junipers, hence the name. The Cedar Mountain Wilderness includes more than half of the 180,000 acres (730 km2) Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area, where feral horses have grazed since they were introduced in the late 19th century. A survey conducted in December 1991 counted 444 horses, and parts of the herd can often be seen on the wilderness where their impacts on native vegetation communities are apparent and widespread.
Congress designated the Cedar Mountain Wilderness primarily in response to an effort by members of the Utah congressional delegation and governor to block rail access to a proposed high-level nuclear waste storage facility on the nearby Skull Valley Indian Reservation. The project was sponsored by a consortium of nuclear power companies known as Private Fuel Storage. The project was killed in 2012 amid legal obstacles and substantial local opposition. Since that time, the Cedar Mountain Wilderness has continued to see tremendous ORV impacts – especially during fall hunting season – due to the profligate presence of roads effectively intersecting and dividing the wilderness parcels.
The Work
Our emphasis is the entire boundary and east-west passes of the Cedar Mountain Wilderness. Motorized use (especially dirt bike travel) is increasing its impacts in and along the protected wilderness. We will work both to manually remediate impacts on the ground (raking; picking; mulching; barricading) and install informative and educational signage to protect the boundary.
Our Objective: To remediate the impacts of off-road vehicle travel and camping in northern Utah wilderness study areas.
Volunteers Needed: (8)
Project Lead: Nicole Milavetz & Diana Haro
Contact: nicole@suwa.org
Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.
- Thu May 23 – Fri May 24
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 select meals, snacks and drinks during the project. Volunteers are responsible for all additional meals not specified in the Welcome Letter 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 (4) weeks prior to the start date.
Registration & Acceptance Timeline
A 2024 General Volunteer Application is required for this project.
- When we have received your form, you will receive a confirmation e-mail within (5) working days of submission.
- In order to ensure participation by the most diverse applicants, we log all applications until (8) weeks prior to the project. At this point, you will first receive a call from our stewardship team to further discuss the project.
- Following this call, you will receive an e-mail confirming whether you have been placed on the “project roster” or a “waiting list.”
- If you are selected for the project roster, you will then complete a Volunteer Agreement.
- Individuals on the Waitlist List will be contacted if space opens due to cancellation within (2) weeks of the project start date.
- At (4) 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 (when applicable), a notification about carpools and/or caravans, and any additional information pertinent to the project.
- Within (2) weeks of the project you will receive a direct call from our stewardship coordinator to answer any additional questions you may have.
If you have any questions at any point throughout the process, please do not hesitate to contact us here or by calling (435) 259-9151.
