ABAJOS ROUTE RE-INVENTORY & RESTORATION CAMPAIGN

Campaign Statement:  The ten-year-old original Abajos route inventory looks nothing like today's on-the-ground situation - thanks to an increased use of ORVs in this range.  An updated review of routes - legitimate and illegal - is in order.  This inventory will be acquired through a peer-reviewed protocol developed by the Healthy Lands Project of Great Old Broads for Wilderness.  The inventory must also include a thorough assessment of dispersed campsites - which are becoming an undocumented and unregulated impact to vegetation and wildlife habitat.  Red Rock Forests began our inventory in 2007, where we inventoried over 450 miles of designated, undesignated and spur routes over only 100 square mile area.  Field work will continue through 2009 - when the entire range under Forest Service jurisdiction will be inventoried.  All of the data is being entered into the Broads Healthy Lands Project database (formerly known as GINGER).

The second crucial component of this campaign is our on-the-ground efforts at rehabilitation and restoration.  In 2007, we completed several projects in the Abajos and La Sals.  As our route and dispersed campsite inventory proceeds, our field specialists are identifying areas that require restoration.  We take the documentation of impacts to the Forest Service and together develop a schedule of field projects to address these problems.  See Volunteers page for a schedule of projects.

MANTI-LA SAL ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY CAMPAIGN

There are several broad processes occurring within the Manti-La Sal National Forest, which manages both the La Sals and the Abajos.  These include:  an ongoing -  but delayed - forest land management planning process, a revised Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement, statewide Wild and Scenic River designations, and anticipated travel planning in the La Sals.  The outcome of each process will greatly affect the ecological integrity of both mountain ranges - including water and soil quality, vegetation and wildlife.  Red Rock Forests is monitoring, commenting and appealing any proposal/project that specifically and significantly impacts the ecological fabric of either mountain range.

 OUTREACH CAMPAIGN ON ENERGY & MINERAL DEVELOPMENT

IN THE CANYONLANDS BASIN

In addition to the forest-wide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement being developed for the Manti-La Sal National Forest, there are numerous other efforts actively underway to exploit as much of the oil, gas and minerals available in SE Utah, regardless of the impacts to our existing recreation and tourist economy. The oil and gas industry seems to be still ravenous from gobbling up public lands on the western slope of Colorado.  For example, over 50,000 acres of public land in Grand County (home to Moab, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park) were just recently (early 2008) leased for energy development.  There are also broad proposals in Utah for tar sands and oil shale, as well as the resurgence of uranium mining and milling.  And last, but not least, a proposal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a possible nuclear power plant near Green River, along with a coal-fired power plant and uranium mill (Green River's definition of an "Industrial Park.")  Red Rock Forests is conducting outreach with locals, visitors and the recreating public, as well as local government, to resist the lure of energy revenue in favor of supporting both the ecological integrity of public lands as well as the viewshed that supports the local business community that depends on tourism and recreation.

"TAKE ACTION" MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

The heart of Red Rock Forests is community.  Our work must meet the needs of the community - the community of users of public lands in SE Utah.  We want our members and donors to be a critical part of our work - whether they are participating in field projects, writing comments, providing insight and information about their experiences, monitoring their favorite areas, donating their expertise, or supporting our work financially.  We exist because we provide a service to the community.  We employ the concept of 'seven degrees of separation' to our membership campaign - each person we touch, touches someone else, who then comes back to touch us! 

Become a member of Red Rock Forests!