Grand Staircase Escalante Boundary Reductions

On November 30th, The Wilderness Society and the Native American Rights Fund obtained leaked maps from the Department of Interior showing the boundary changes President Trump plans to make in both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Using those maps, I transcribed the boundaries onto an interactive map with GIS data also supplied from the State of Utah. The question I have been asked more than any other is “What will be cut out?” The answer? A lot.

Update: January 24th – updated boundaries with GIS data from the state so the boundaries are now accurate.

Note: To toggle on and off different boundaries, click the icon in the upper left of the map to see the menu. Wilderness Study Areas are turned off by default, but turning them on will give a more complete picture of what is sliced out.

What is cut out:

Cockscomb WSA including the very popular Rimrocks and Toadstools

Dry Fork of Coyote Slots including Peekaboo, Spooky, Brimstone

Egypt slots

Wahweap Hoodoos and most of Wahweap WSA

Round Valley Draw slot canyon

Willis Creek and Bull Valley Gorge trailheads are literally the boundary.

Everything west of Skutumpah Road to Bryce Canyon National Park

40 mile ridge – including Sunset and Sunrise arches

Upper Buckskin Gulch and upper Paria River near Highway 89

Western section of the Blues WSA

Significant portion of Carcass Canyon WSA

Croton Canyon, Little Valley and Rock Creek south of Fifty Mile Mountain

Vast majority of the burning Hills

All of John Henry Bench and Smoky Hollow. This is the target area for coal

Nipple Bench – this area is known for outstanding badlands

East of the Circle Cliffs to Capitol Reef National Park along the Burr Trail

All of Hole in the Rock Road proper. (Presumably, this would allow the State and County to influence the management of the road separate from the Monument plan. The goal is to improve the road, and build a State Park at the southern end of the road to facilitate group sizes up to 100 people to tour Hole In The Rock, a site of cultural importance to Mormon Pioneers, but currently groups that big are not permitted on Federal lands. Full article from Salt Lake Tribune Here.

Additional note – Devils Garden and Dance Hall Rock would be part of Kaiparowits National Monument.

Light beams sneaking through the impressively narrow walls of Spooky Gulch.

Removed from Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

Rainbow over Scorpion and the Dry Fork of Coyote.

Massive lightning bolt striking the Straight Cliffs as viewed from Hole in the Rock Road.

Cockscomb WSA

I took this photo in 2007, at Chimney Rock. It was the first time I ever looked up at the night sky and realized the stars were bright enough to photograph. Taken on a Canon 5d and sigma 15mm fisheye.

Round Valley Draw

Looking north from Chimney Rock at the Dry Fork of Coyote and the Scorpion Bench. The lower sections of Dry Fork are in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The majority of these canyons are eliminated from the Monument.

Round Valley Draw

The famous walls of Spooky Gulch.

Looking north along the Straight Cliffs from Chimney Rock.

Grand Staircase has some of the most impressive dark skies anywhere in the continental 48. This photo is along Hole In the Rock Road near Egypt Bench, eliminated from the Monument.