The Land

Between Price, Utah and Grand Junction, Colorado, Highway 6 and Interstate 70 cross 170 miles of barren and windswept terrain. The drive would be lonely but for a constant companion: the thousand-foot-high wall of the Book Cliffs that parallels the highway just to the north. Winding for 250 miles across Utah and Colorado, it is the longest continuous escarpment in the world.

Cutting through this escarpment is an 84 mile segment of the Green River through Desolation and Gray canyons. At 290,845 acres, the Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study Area is the largest WSA managed by BLM in the contiguous 48 states. The WSA has an extensive system of deep canyons, arches, pinnacles, and other erosional remnants not known to occur elsewhere in the Wasatch Formation in similar concentrations or settings. Vegetation is diverse, ranging from desert to high mountain types in a distance of only 5-10 miles.

At the WSA’s southern end, the region receives use from river runners nearing the end of their journey and backcountry recreators enjoying riverside camps and the corridor’s stunning, rugged beauty.

The Work

Our work will focus on wilderness study area boundary delineation and protection. Nonpermitted travel and camping in protected wilderness areas requires strategic management. We will install proper wilderness boundary signage, build natural and constructed barriers to travel, and otherwise clearly delineate protected landscapes from open route travel areas. Strategies may include vertical mulching with large boulders and downed trees/logs, the building of rock cairn baskets (wired baskets filled with rock to define a border or edge), and extensive raking and naturalization of ORV tracks.

Volunteers Needed: (8)
Project Lead: Ellie Swanson
Contact: ellie@suwa.org

Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.

• Weds Oct 16 – Fri Oct 18

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.

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