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Happy September!
We have a new look, but still have the same great content!
Thank you for following along this year! We're close to cooler weather and only a few weeks away from autumn. We hope you're staying cool out there. Enjoy this month's edition of our newsletter!
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CANYONLANDS NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Discovery Pool Updates
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Progress Report: Assessing the Health and Vulnerability of Scattered Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine in Southern Utah by Larissa Yocom
"We have completed the first objective, in collaboration with managers from the BLM, to identify locations of old-growth ponderosa pine groves on Ray Mesa. We have also completed the second objective, to prioritize and select stands for study during this phase of the project. We selected two stands that have been treated with thinning and prescribed fire and two stands where no management actions have been taken and tree density is high."
The Discovery Pool research grant program was established by CNHA to encourage and provide funding for research partnerships between qualified scientists and our federal NPS, BLM, and USFS partners in southeastern Utah.
Since its inception in 2007, CNHA’s Discovery Pool has awarded $791,250 in grants.
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Discovery Pool Grant 2024
If you are interested in applying for a Discovery Pool Grant for 2024, applications are due November 1.
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
The Southeast Utah Group E-Bike Patrol Program Takes Off
By Nate Ament
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According to environmental author Bill McKibben, the three most precious things in the modern world are "...solitude, darkness, and silence." Our visitors and employees frequently use the four wheel drive roads of Arches and Canyonlands to access remote, quiet places where they can be surrounded by scenic vistas and starry skies. By utilizing e-bikes to patrol these roads, we as rangers can help preserve those backcountry attributes while making ourselves stronger and healthier, too.
In spring 2022, Nate Ament traveled to the Grand Canyon North Rim to learn about their successful e-bike patrol program, and train with them on the bike's uses. Next step, we needed e-bikes, so Nate wrote an aid proposal to Canyonlands Natural History Association, who generously funded us for two new e-bikes in 2023. The bikes arrived in July, and they are in the process of getting outfitted for patrol use with bikepacking bags, repair tools, protective gear, and other necessary items.
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BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Kane Gulch Ranger Station Reopening for Fall
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The Kane Gulch Ranger Station is open again daily from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the fall season!
The ranger station serves as the hub for visitors exploring Bears Ears National Monument. Visitors can learn more about the rules, regulations, and resources of this region. It also includes a bookstore provided by CNHA, where visitors can pick up supplies for their trip, maps, and souvenirs.
The ranger station will close for the season on October 31, 2023.
Visit the Bureau of Land Management website for more information.
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US FOREST SERVICE
2023 Projects Funded by CNHA
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Canyonlands Natural History Association provided aid for some great projects for the US Forest this year!
Two interpretive panels were installed at the Castle Valley Overlook and Moonlight Meadows Trailhead (pictured). The panels give information on Moab area watersheds.
Dave Garcia was hired as an avalanche assistant with funding from CNHA. Dave provided forecasts twice a week during the full-time forecasters' days off, resulting in forecasts being issued 7 days a week. Dave organized fundraising events, including last fall's "Waxing party" at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center, which was well attended. Dave also assists with the teaching of avalanche classes throughout the season.
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Kiosks at the Trans La Sal trailhead and Gold Basin trailheads were installed in August (pictured). The interpretive panel is being designed now and will be installed next year!
A local contractor has completed the parking area in the Dry Wash Site in the Bears Ears. Ancestral Land Corp will be on site in September to construct a fence around the parking area and install a kiosk and interpretive signage.
Check out more news from the Manti-La Sal National Forest here.
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National Public Lands Day Celebration
Stop by the Moab Information Center on Friday, September 22nd from 4:30-7pm for our annual National Public Lands Day Celebration event! Join us, along with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service for live music by Meander Cat, free swag, and more! Our friends at Science Moab, Grand County Active Transportation and Trails, Friends of Arches and Canyonlands, and Utah State Parks will be there, too!
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MIC Free Lecture Series
Join us Thursdays at 5pm at the Moab Information Center for our free lecture series!
September 7 | “Focusing the Lens on the Parks” by Kat Connelly
Photography, in many instances, helped shape political and social opinions for the protection of natural and culturally significant places. National Park backcountry ranger Kat Connelly will discuss photography’s role in influencing the designation of Arches and Canyonlands as national parks and how the proliferation of sharing photos has both positively and negatively affected use of public lands.
September 14 | “History of the NPS Uniforms” by Robert Anderson
Join National Park Ranger Robert Anderson to learn about the history of the National Park Service’s iconic uniform through a gender and racial lens. There is a lot of history to glean from the uniform that is recognizable throughout the world.
September 21 | “Public Lands: Where, Why, and How?” by Walt Dabney
Join former National Park Ranger and Superintendent, and Texas State Parks Director, Walt Dabney for answers to these, and more, questions: Where did our Public Lands come from? Why do the western states have lots and other states almost none? How were states formed? What does the Constitution say about these lands? What was the effect of the Homestead Act and the Railroad Act? How were National Parks and Forests established? Why are these lands held “in common”, so important to us today? These and other questions and past and current issues are addressed in this hour long presentation. Questions and discussion time to follow.
September 28 | "Pack Creek Fire Restoration" by Rebecca Finger-Higgens
In June 2021, the Pack Creek Fire burned over 9,000 acres in the La Sal Mountains outside of Moab, UT. It created an immediate need for restoration action on the burned landscape. Join ecologist Rebecca Finger-Higgens from the US Geological Survey for an update on restoration and recovery efforts that have taken place across the Manti-La Sal National Forest over the last two years. Finger-Higgens is a 2023 Discovery Pool recipient.
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Community Artist in the Parks: Jess Hough
See how Jess turns her inspiration into art, or join her (with your own art supplies) for a side-by-side creative endeavor. Bring water, sun protection, and your imagination. Jess will be at Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky District and Needles District this month!
Check out September dates here.
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Community Artist in the Park 2024
The Southeast Utah Group of parks is currently accepting applications for the 2024 Community Artist in the Parks program.
The selected artist spends a minimum of 24 hours each month, April through October, creating original works of art in the participating parks and sharing inspiration and the creative process with visitors from around the world. The artist’s work will also be sold at participating parks’ stores operated by Canyonlands Natural History Association.
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Your Purchases Support Education and Research on the
Public Lands of Southeastern Utah.
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Our Mission
Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) is a non-profit organization, which exists solely to assist the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in their education and visitor efforts. Proceeds from sales support these agencies’ educational, interpretive, and scientific programs on the Colorado Plateau.
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