Recreation

A bigger picture

Rebecca Clarren May 10, 1999 From the print edition
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  Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument needs to think of itself in the context of a wider world. That's the conclusion of Crown of the Canyons, an atlas of colored maps and data on the ecology, geology and economy of the monument and its surrounding landscape, compiled by the Wilderness Society. The monument's 1.9 million acres are part of a larger ecosystem that includes rural communities and other public lands, says co-author Greg Aplet. The atlas predicts that monument recreation and tourism will create jobs for locals, offsetting the decline of natural resource industries like timber and agriculture. "I think it's a fine effort, and we really appreciate their input," says Bureau of Land Management's Chris Killingsworth. "We'll certainly consider it as part of the planning process." The BLM hopes to complete a proposed plan and final environmental impact statement of the monument by August (HCN, 1/18/99).


For a copy of the 76-page atlas, contact The Wilderness Society at 7475 Dakin St., Suite 410, Denver, CO 80221 (303/650-5818), or see it at:


www.wilderness.org/standbylands/utah/


atlas/index.htm.


* Rebecca Clarren


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