Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Fremont • Loa • Lyman Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville
BEAVER CAN IMPROVE OUR WATER RESOURCES
Water, we can’t live without it. This dry year re-emphasizes the fact that our mountain watersheds are so critical to life, both for us and also for many plants and animals. Unfortunately, the precipitation in our mountains, in the form of rain or winter snow, is only partially captured in the mountain watershed aquifers for later use in the valley cities and farms. Recently, an effort was initiated to begin the restoration process to further help the watersheds become more productive to many forms of life, including ours. In January 2010, the Utah Wildlife Board approved an updated statewide Beaver Management Plan. Some individuals or groups may see this effort to restore beaver as ill conceived. However, when one understands how our riparian areas originally developed, it becomes much more sensible to do all that is possible to restore the way nature intended things to function. When I see so many of our Southern Utah streams flowing like ditches in eroded gullies that are cut through several to many feet of deposited soils, it becomes very clear that originally the canyons and valleys looked much different than we see them today. Major changes occurred in the 19th century. Early on, trappers removed uncounted numbers of beaver from
PANGUITCH WEATHER
By Norman McKee W e s t e r n yon and Juniper Tree forwatersheds ests are being downsized to for use in accommodate the original Eastern and shrub/grassland vegetative E u r o p e a n communities. In fact, the markets. Not Kanab BLM Field Office long after, is leading the state in this pioneer set- effort. Stream-side grazing tlers brought management is adapting in new pres- order to encourage plants sures to the watersheds that will further help to heal mostly devoid of the na- the erosive scars of past tive beaver. In many areas, mis-management. It is now heavy livestock use and time to restore the beaver, water diversions drasti- nature’s riparian engineers. cally changed the streams. Recently, nine beaver All too soon, erosion in the were trapped from Panstreams was a common oc- guitch Valley irrigation cacurrence. nals and moved to mountain Flat canyon bottoms streams where they once were originally covered existed. Problems were beby wetland vegetation be- ing solved on both ends. cause of the widespread Landowners and water water tables created by users with problem beaver beaver dams. Streams that are now strongly encouronce harbored many bea- aged to contact the local ver dams that filtered the Utah Division of Wildlife silt-laded water from the Resources Biologist or ofsteeper hillsides, have fice to report problems. now, all too often, become Please be a bit patient in rushing torrents with each getting problem beaver spring runoff and summer trapped. However, realize thunderstorm. Streams on they are valuable animals the Mt. Dutton and Beaver with a critical task to perMtn. Ranges, ravished by form. Do not kill them. All large fires in recent years, other sportsmen and others are prime examples of what should also realize how exhappens when beaver are tremely valuable these aniabsent. As erosion lowered mals are in our watersheds. the streams, the plentiful They must be protected wetland vegetation that was from malicious destruction. used by wildlife and early Please realize their value livestock, has been replaced and report unlawful activiby more dry-land species, ties to your local conservasuch as rabbit brush and tion officer. sagebrush we now see. ToYears ago, when working day, most stream-side ripar- as a conservation officer, I ian areas, to some degree, stocked fish in 18 areas in lack the ability to retain the the Cedar City and Powwater resources that nature ell USFS Districts where designed them to do. And beaver (and fish) no longer where do the eroded soils exist. Many people once go? Obviously, our stor- enjoyed these added opporage reservoirs and lakes fill tunities for fishing. Unforwith the unfiltered water. tunately, in recent decades, In recent years, many beaver have continued projects have been done to to disappear in Southern help restore watersheds of Utah. They are so critical Southern Utah. Thirsty Pin- to a healthy watershed and to the ecology of a streamside riparian area. HowLOA ever, when all is said and WEATHER done, it’s not really so much about beaver. It is about the important work they do.
BARNETT ORTHODONTICS www.bracesbybarnett.com Toll Free : 1-888 BRACE ME
Thursday, June 7, 2012 • Issue # 947 Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners
Site Steward Program Has New Coordinator
The Grand Staircase Escalante Partners (GSEP) Site Steward Program has a new coordinator, Loretta Clayson. A former volunteer site steward herself, Loretta replaced Karolyn Tenney, who got the program up and running and compiled the Site Steward Program Handbook. Clayson will work with Matt Zweifel, Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument (GSENM) Archaeologist, to ensure that stewards are trained, new sites are recorded, and all sites are monitored for animal encroachment, erosion, and vandalism. Clayson was raised in Southern Utah, living first in Boulder and then moving to Kanab. As a child she remembers engaging in the common local pastime of that era – arrowhead hunting and picking up pieces of pottery while imagining what life had been like for the makers of such treasures. As an adult she learned that damage to the area’s historical record is most often inflicted through innocence or ignorance, and she is pleased to coordinate efforts today to protect and preserve the Monument’s irreplaceable archaeological and paleontological resources. Clayson believes strongly in educating the public, and especially children, about the value of preserving the history contained on public lands and at the Monument. “When you deface or destroy a site, you destroy information and a link to understanding history. When artifacts are removed from their original context, the story loses its meaning in much the same way deleting important words from the page of a book diminishes its clarity and significance,” she says. Her desire to teach an appreciation for the amazing archaeological story in their own backyard prompted Clayson to coordinate field trips for Kanab students to the Jackson Flats Reservoir construction site. GSEP’s Site Steward Program is in its second year and has expanded from the original 17 volunteers
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to 48 active site stewards who have been trained in the proper procedures for monitoring and recording sites. Forty-two stewards monitor 90 sites in Kane County, and six monitor 17 additional sites in the Escalante area of Garfield County. These sites include rock art panels, habitations, storage granaries, and an historic town site. Seven paleontological sites have been added to the monitoring program as well. The program’s success is due to the dedicated effort of enthusiastic stewards; this year more than 1400 volunteer hours have been reported. Volunteers often traverse rugged terrain to visit their assigned sites several times per year. Some stewards hike several
miles or scale cliff faces to reach their sites. One site steward crosses the Paria River 16 times just to monitor an assigned site. Stewards have discovered three previously unidentified sites, two rock art panels, and a habitation area. Two incidents of vandalism have been reported by stewards, and a barrier project was completed to preserve a unique rock art panel site from animal damage. GSEP supports education, research, and conservation at the Monument, and advocates sustainable enjoyment of public lands like GSENM. The Monument is the largest national monument in the United States that is administered by the BLM for multiple uses. Because of its significance as a place for research and education, GSENM qualifies as a National Landscape Conservation System “treasured landscape,” and is managed for conservation and restoration. The site steward program is currently closed to new volunteers; however, Clayson is keeping a list of those who are interested in becoming site stewards and she will contact them in the future. To add your name to the list, contact Loretta at 435-644-1306 or loretta@ gsenm.org.
FIRE PROMPTS AREA CLOSURE
LOA, UT- June 4, 2012: A series of small wildland fires were detected on Sunday June 3 at approximately 5:30 p.m. The fires are burning in an area southwest of Teasdale, Utah. The fires are being managed under the name Lost Lake Fires. Fire crews hiked in to the area to take suppression actions Monday morning. The fires, burning in heavy timber, are estimated at a total of 6 acres. The cause of the fires is under investigation. Citing concerns for firefighter and public safety, the Fishlake National Forest is implementing an area closure for the fire area. The closure is described below: Beginning at Donkey Reservoir Road, south along Forest Developed Road 521 to Donkey Reservoir, then north along Wildcat Trail (#140) to the Bullberry drainage along Trail 123/124, then north east to Coleman Reservoir and back to Forest Road 521. Trails, roads and the surrounding area will be closed and the closure will remain in effect until further notice. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for this afternoon due to high temperatures and windy conditions. As defined by the National Weather Service, a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now...or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and hot temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential. For information on this and other wildland fires in Utah visit utahfireinfo.gov, for information on fires burning in other areas, go to inciweb.org. Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution yet. Mae West
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PRE-SORT STANDARD PAID RICHFIELD, UTAH PERMIT No. 122