Lost Spring WSA
September 13 - September 15
The Land
Lost Spring Canyon is the northernmost unit of Arches National Park. This 3,140-acre area was added to the park in 1998. The Bureau of Land Management administered the area as a Wilderness Study Area since 1985, though Lost Spring Canyon had been grazed for years. When it was added to Arches, the Grand Canyon Trust purchased the grazing permit and donated it to the National Park Service. Livestock were removed and fenced out, enabling the National Park Service to begin vegetation monitoring, protection and restoration efforts. In addition, the removal of livestock has eliminated potential conflicts between recreational backcountry visitors and active livestock operations. A major point of motorized access to the area is from I-70 to the north. While some routes remain open, others were closed in 2008 as a component of travel management planning to ensure protections for localized ecological communities and the preservation of wilderness characteristics.
The Work
Our crew will work to enforce existing route closures by effecting clearer boundaries and remediating the impacts of non permitted motorized travel. We will rehabilitate and restore wilderness characteristics through a series of approaches, including: reclaiming non permitted routes, establishing temporary, artificial barriers where vegetation has been removed or decimated, and disappearing signs of mechanized-human impacts.
Work tasks will vary by need, and are slated to include:
- brush fence and WSA boundary sign installation;
- vertical mulching and track/tread raking;
- manual reclamation (with hand tools) of visually disturbed surface
Our Objective: To ensure compliance with existing travel management rules and regulations in service of localized wilderness-quality lands preservation.
Volunteers Needed: (8)
Project Lead: Ellie Swanson
Contact: ellie@suwa.org
Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary will be provided to registered volunteers.
- Fri Sept 13 – Sun Sept 15
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.
