Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
needs to think of itself in the context of a wider world. That’s
the conclusion of Crown of the Canyons, an atlas of colored maps
and data on the ecology, geology and economy of the monument and
its surrounding landscape, compiled by the Wilderness Society. The
monument’s 1.9 million acres are part of a larger ecosystem that
includes rural communities and other public lands, says co-author
Greg Aplet. The atlas predicts that monument recreation and tourism
will create jobs for locals, offsetting the decline of natural
resource industries like timber and agriculture. “I think it’s a
fine effort, and we really appreciate their input,” says Bureau of
Land Management’s Chris Killingsworth. “We’ll certainly consider it
as part of the planning process.” The BLM hopes to complete a
proposed plan and final environmental impact statement of the
monument by August (HCN, 1/18/99).
For a copy of
the 76-page atlas, contact The Wilderness Society at 7475 Dakin
St., Suite 410, Denver, CO 80221 (303/650-5818), or see it
at:
www.wilderness.org/standbylands/utah/
atlas/index.htm.
* Rebecca Clarren
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline A bigger picture.
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