An Opportunity to Protect Public Lands in Southeastern Utah

Photo Credit: Mike A. Shaw

Southeastern Utah is one of the most revered outdoor recreation destinations in the US, if not the world. It is home to some of the most iconic areas in the world for climbers, mountain bikers, paddlers, and myriad other outdoor recreationists, including the world-famous Indian Creek climbing area; the San Rafael Swell; sections of the Dolores, Green, and Colorado Rivers; and countless miles of iconic single track mountain biking around the Moab area. But can you imagine if the splitter cracks in Indian Creek, the flatwater of the San Juan River, and the world-class mountain bike trails in Moab were off limits or were surrounded by oil rigs?

We need your help to protect southeastern Utah. Right now, lawmakers are considering two initiatives that may impact access to our unique sandstone cliffs, wild rivers, remote desert towers and peaks, and flowy dirt trails.

1) The Public Lands Initiative

The Public Lands Initiative (PLI), proposed by Reps. Bishop (R-UT) and Chaffetz (R-UT), outlines an extensive plan to manage state and federal lands in southeastern Utah. The PLI threatens designated Wilderness, supports the transfer federal land to the states, and for huge areas values resource extraction over both recreation and conservation—despite the fact that the recreation industry generates more money than resource extraction. The draft bill is currently being revised, and now is our best opportunity to provide input.

2) Bears Ears National Monument

Unhappy with the PLI, an Inter-Tribal Coalition proposed the Bears Ears National Monument to the Obama administration. The proposed National Monument would include Indian Creek and other important climbing areas, and is focused on preserving Native American traditional values. If the President proclaims Bears Ears National Monument, the human-powered recreation community needs to ensure that the proclamation acknowledges and protects the world-class recreation in the area along with the other important values in the Bears Ears region.

We need your help to ensure the world-class recreation on public lands in southeastern Utah is protected as these land initiatives are considered. Please take a minute to fill out the form below to share why southeastern Utah is important to you, where you like to go in the region, and what you do there. This information is critical for lawmakers who will be deciding the future of these special places. The future of southeastern Utah outdoor recreation is up to you.