Celebrating our National Conservation Areas (NCAs)
Ten years ago on March 30, 2009, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act created the Red Cliffs and Beaver Dam Wash NCAs. Today we celebrate their ten-year anniversaries and the hard work of grassroots citizen advocates that made them possible. But as we celebrate we also recognize that threats to our open public spaces continue unabated in an environment that often favors development over conservation and quality of life.
In this edition of the Red Rock Advocate we focus on the past, present and future of these NCAs. We open with Sandy Johnson’s explanation of what an NCA is and the diversity of activities within NCAs. This is followed by Lisa Rutherford’s history of the effort to form NCAs, which also serves as a model for the work needed to protect them. Sarah Thomas rounds out the newsletter with a passionate plea for protecting the Red Cliffs NCA from the damaging effects of the proposed Norther Corridor Highway. And as a special treat, we conclude with a portfolio of photos reminding us why this work is so very important, along with a series of testimonies from our members about the value of the NCAs.
A decade ago our predecessors may have felt that protecting our public lands was an impossible dream. And yet they persevered. As we undertake today’s challenges let us be inspired by our great success in creating and preserving our NCAs. We invite you to join us in this work and help us build upon this success.
Letter from the Editor Our National Conservation Areas
This issue of the Red Rock Advocate focuses on our NCAs, the central theme being that while we take pride in and celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their creation, recognize the hard work and dedication of countless citizens, volunteers, and members of Conserve Southwest Utah, and rightfully applaud our accomplishments, we at the same time must continue to be diligent, passionate, and active in protecting these environmental treasures.
Art Haines, Sandy Johnson, Lisa Rutherford, and Sarah Thomas quite elegantly tell the story of our NCAs from differing perspectives. Together they spin an inspiring tale of how people with a common environmental mindset recognized a significant threat to our public lands and came together, confronting and overcoming numerous obstacles, persevering when all seemed lost, and ultimately succeeding in preserving our public lands.
The sobering epilogue to this story, however, is that we desperately need this same coalition of environmentally-minded people to continue confronting and overcoming challenges posed by those more interested in the monetary value of our public lands, and bringing the same passion, dedication, and perseverance to protecting the NCAs that were instrumental in creating them ten years ago.
So our plea to all of you is simply this: please lend a hand, in any way you can, in the fight to protect our NCAs. And together let us begin the journey to ensure that we celebrate their 20-year anniversary in 2029!
--- Joe Montanarella, editor
Please send comments, questions, and ideas for content to the editor at <E-Mail the Editor>
What is an National Conservation Area? Sandy Johnson
We are privileged in the St. George area to have two NCAs near and accessible to us. The Red Cliffs NCA encompasses 45,000 acres, including the beautiful red cliffs that overlook St. George and surrounding cities. This amazing place is literally at our backdoor, accessible via a short drive, and rivals any open urban space in the world for beauty and opportunities for recreation and renewal. (Please see below for a map of the Red Cliffs NCA.)
In the southwest corner of Washington County lies the Beaver Dam Wash NCA, encompassing 63,500 acres. This rugged land is full of beauty and solitude and is also a short drive from St. George on Old Highway 91. Few urban areas enjoy such easy access to a truly wild land and all of its attractions. (Please see below for a map of the Beaver Dam Wash NCA.)
But what exactly is an NCA? And what types of land uses are allowed/prohibited?
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, NCAs are “public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management that are set aside for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. Similar to national parks, NCAs are designated by Congress and feature scientific, cultural, historical and recreational features.”
Both of our NCAs are located within an ecological transition zone between the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau, making them habitat for many unique species of plants and animals, including the endangered Mojave desert tortoise. These areas were set aside through the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 “to conserve, protect and enhance the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational and scientific resources”.
Many recreational uses are allowed, including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and ATV riding on designated roads and trails. Camping is allowed in developed campgrounds. Our NCAs are generally closed to mining and oil and gas development. Grazing is allowed in the Beaver Dam NCA in the fall and winter, when tortoises are inactive. With proper permits hunting is allowed in season in both NCAs. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash, as loose dogs are considered tortoise predators.
Today NCA lands across the country comprise 36 million acres that are being preserved for today and as a legacy for the future. Tour these fine lands at the Conservation Lands Foundation’s website.
Our NCAs are lands with many uses and are a treasure for all of us. Let’s enjoy and protect them!
Map of the Red Cliffs NCA
Map of Beaver Dam Wash NCA.
Our Two National Conservation Areas:
National Treasures we are Honored to Protect Lisa Rutherford
In the mid-2000s we faced a challenge to the beauty of Southwest Utah and our quality of life. Utah congressional members sponsored legislation titled the “2006 Washington County Growth and Conservation Act.” The most onerous aspect of this bill was the transfer of 25,000 acres of prime public land to our county, thereby leaving it open to damaging development of all sorts. To put it mildly, this riled many citizens, including those who created Citizens for Dixie’s Future – now Conserve Southwest Utah.
Led by Lin Alder, an energetic and affable leader, this group called for public input and held a rally to raise public awareness, and the county subsequently initiated the Vision Dixie process. About 3,000 citizens met to map out the county’s future, and when the results did not support what county commissioners wanted, out-of-control growth was rejected and preservation of public open spaces was embraced.
The 2006 bill eventually became the “2008 Washington County Growth and Conservation Act” and was included in the “2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act”. As a result, two new NCAs were created “to conserve, protect, and enhance … the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, education, and scientific resources” of the lands. The 25,000 acres originally designated for transfer to the county – unnecessary for the county’s growth and potentially sacrificing signature landscapes – was decreased dramatically and additional protections added.
The result of this citizen-inspired effort was the Red Cliffs NCA, which encompasses 45,000 acres of the existing 63,000 acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve – aka the “tortoise reserve”. This beautiful red rock country north of St. George is now further protected under Federal law. Beaver Dam Wash NCA, west of St. George on Old Highway 91, was also created. These two areas are public land “jewels” in our county and a large part of what makes our quality of life uniquely wonderful.
John Leshy, Professor of Law Emeritus, University of California, wrote that “Public lands will remain in U.S. ownership only if that policy continues to command the support of the American people. Put a little differently, each new generation of Americans must decide for itself whether to support the U.S. retaining ownership of these lands.”
A decade ago passionate citizens fought hard for the victory known today as the two NCAs so near and dear to us. The challenge of protecting this legacy now falls to us. Will we be as passionate?
A Call for Advocates:
Fighting to Stop the Northern Corridor Highway Sarah Thomas
Conserve Southwest Utah (CSU) was born out of a passionate citizens effort to create our NCAs, and protecting them is at the heart of our conservation mission. Today we defend these spectacular places through community outreach, stewardship and advocacy.
Being an advocate means speaking out on behalf of causes, policies, people, wildlife or entire landscapes. The best definition of advocacy I’ve heard was shared during a meeting between CSU and different community groups who wanted to guard the Red Cliffs NCA - its history, cultural significance, rocks, plants, and tortoises - against the Northern Corridor Highway (NCH). At the end of the meeting, a wise man summarized our long discussion by saying that people have a responsibility to speak for the tortoise because the tortoise can’t speak for itself. Advocacy is that simple, and everyone left the meeting with a feeling of purpose and clarity.
This was a profound moment for me, and I hope it helps you recognize the ways in which you are already an advocate. Any time you step outside of yourself to speak and act on behalf of those in need, you are being an advocate.
The Red Cliffs NCA needs advocates now to stop the NCH, slated to run from I-15 exit 13 to the Pioneer Hills Trail Head on Red Hills Parkway. This proposed highway would fragment the NCA, critical tortoise habitat, open space, hiking trails, and more. Despite this damage, the Utah Department of Transportation and environmental consultants have applied to the Bureau of Land Management for a right-of-way for its construction. Their application triggers the National Environmental Policy Act process which begins this summer with a public commenting period called “scoping.”
During scoping you can be an advocate by simply turning in comments explaining how this highway would impact the ways you use and value the Red Cliffs NCA. Your comments will help the BLM analyze potential environmental, economic and social impacts caused by the highway. CSU will offer workshops and guidance to help you create strong comments. Please contact me (sarah@conserveswu.org) to get involved.
Our NCAs support an incredible quality of life, and to defend them we need advocates. Are you ready to become one?
To see a gallery of beautiful images of our National Conservation Areas, please click on the photo.
The Value of our National Conservation Areas Testimonials
Open lands are often viewed as land banks held in reserve for future development. The Red Cliffs NCA is, indeed, land held in reserve, but not for development. Through the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Congress designated the Red Cliffs NCA “to conserve, protect, and enhance the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational, and scientific resources” of public lands in the NCA. Many of us can bear witness that these values are worth protecting because we have a very personal relationship with the Red Cliffs NCA. Read four of these heartfelt testimonials here:
Walking the Red Cliffs Desert Preserve: A Threatened Land Judy Schattner
A land of parched, red rock, scrub-bush covered, and heat loving creatures,
holds secrets that can only be discovered on foot.
So with each step I move away from the city and walk.
A Desert Tortoise, a suchness of slow, appears on my path.
I bend down, look deep into her eyes... absorbing a pace
that allows me to see the special things in this unusual place.
The scarce Cactus Wren flies into the bottom hole in its nest,
protected in a Cholla Cactus. I, too, have a home in this land,
and I want it protected.
The Mohave bio-crust soil that invisibly feeds many plants
and takes years to grow back if destroyed.
Each step I take has reverberations beyond the visible….so I step wisely.
The most prized gift is the open space to walk uninterrupted
in stillness and silence, moving beyond the limits of mind
into a place of attachment and care for this preserve.
Nancy Krosnoff
One more highway, one more cut through delicate desert landscape. We need this to accommodate our growth. And trust us, the impact will be controlled. This all frightens me. Why? Because I’ve seen this all before. Seventeen years ago, I chose southwestern Utah as my home for the very characteristics that are now threatened. Then as now, as an avid hiker and cyclist who marvels at and embraces the unfettered beauty of the Red Cliffs NCA every time I experience it, I shudder to think how it might be changed by the proposed Northern Corridor Highway. Similar highways and byways have come to fruition in places such as Honolulu, Hawaii, Austin, Texas, and Anchorage, Alaska. I have lived in all of these places for extended periods. All of them are beautiful places that once had pristine landscapes enveloping them. All are places that, over time, faced the transportation demands of residential and commercial development. All considered similar proposals and heard similar arguments and promises. And all - when the byways were approved and roads finally cut - inherited the same adverse environmental and ecological impact from which there was no return. I hope we can learn from others’ experiences and not share a similar fate.
Fred Nash
I am a volunteer Archaeological Site Steward for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and together with Vicki Pearson have spent one day every week for the past 13 years exploring and documenting the BLM and Conservation Lands surrounding St. George. We have gained a deep appreciation for the beauty, vistas and solitude, and also for the delicate ecosystems and the interaction that type of landscape provides to all forms of life. This is something that must be conserved to the greatest extent possible and, if correctly managed, will improve the quality of life in St. George and make this area desirable place in which to live and to visit. Growth should not mean “development at all cost”, and the delicate Red Cliffs NCA should not be carved up any further than it already is.
Susan Crook
I live directly across the street from the Halfway Wash Trail into the Red Cliffs NCA. I view sunrise, sunset and gathering storms across this part of the Red Cliffs NCA from my house and yard. When I hike the Paradise Rim trails I marvel at the contrast between the wild lands at my doorstep and the growing metropolitan area adjacent to them. I revel in the tranquility of the natural world and am grateful that it is so accessible. But I worry that this accessibility means it is vulnerable to overuse and exploitation by the pressures of a growing population. Hiking these trails brings respite from the stress of my advocacy work and renews my resolve to continue working to protect the Red Cliffs NCA. These protected public lands are an important part of my day-to-day well-being and contribute greatly to my quality of life.
Get Involved!
If you'd like to help and/or make a contribution please visit our website to learn more,
or email Sarah Thomas atsarah@conserveswu.organd she will help match
your interests and skills to available volunteer opportunities.
