Red Rock Forests strives to protect the sky-island mountains and plateaus above America's Redrock Wilderness in southern Utah, emphasizing the La Sal Mountains, Abajo Mountains, and Elk Ridge in the Canyonlands Basin. We recognize the vital ecological role these ranges play in sustaining Utah's desert wildlife and waterways. For this reason, ecology is our guiding principle, though we use education, public policy, the law, citizen action, and collaboration with other organizations and agencies to achieve protection for these irreplaceable high desert oases.

Red Rock Forests formed in 1999 to give the redrock canyon forests of Southeastern Utah a voice. We seek to protect canyon lands' high country from the multiple threats of unsustainable logging, ORV abuse, mineral extraction and industrial tourism. Our road less inventory of the La Sal and Abajo Mountains turned up nearly twice the amount of wilderness quality land that the Forest Service identified. The Roadless Conservation Rule would not protect these unidentified wild lands. Much of this wild country is in the heart of a vast series of proposed wilderness areas straddling Elk Ridge on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the Forest Service. These mountain highlands are the watershed and summer wildlife refuge for the surrounding redrock deserts.

photo by RRF member, Tom Messenger

Rich in spotted owls, goshawks, lions, bears, elk and many other species, the Abajos forms the biological core of what the Nature Conservancy has dubbed "one of the last great places". Look further. We think you will agree!

The La Sal Mountains also have vast areas of de facto wilderness. Rising to nearly 13,000 feet, they comprise the highest range in Southern Utah. They rise between the spectacular Colorado and Dolores river gorges and spawns many sandstone canyon creeks just 15 miles from Moab, Utah.

These mountain islands in the desert are extremely valuable to native wildlife and human communities as summer refuges, migratory way-stations and foraging habitat. Yet, the Forest Service has been slow to protect these watersheds for their natural worth, favoring extractive proposals and allowing motorized recreationists to run wild on the district. We seek balance and sustainability on this unique forest, and have a long list of accomplishments. Our 400 members get involved in everything from spring restoration to speaking out at public meetings and commenting on timber sales. Check out membership details!