Public Lands

Climber hangs upside down for four hours

by Bill Boyle San Juan Record Editor A man from Colorado was rescued after hanging upside down by his right foot for more than four hours on October 27 on the south face of North Six Shooter Peak. A complicated search and rescue effort, involving a tremendous amount of equipment, training,...

The new “rapid” in Cataract Canyon was created when sediment slumped into the Colorado River. Courtsy photo

Sediment creates new small Cataract rapid

Major sediment slump changes conditions in Cataract Canyon Another major sediment slump in Cataract Canyon has altered water flow in the main channel and created a new small rapid. The slump occurred in Narrow Canyon at river mile 175.1 sometime between Oct 25th and Oct 29th. Approximately 300-350...

Cowboy Camp theft results in charges

Two Colorado residents have been charged by misdemeanor information, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park. According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, CO,...

Verdure Creek fire controlled at 157 acres

After fighting the wildfire for six days, crews fully suppressed the Verdure Creek Wildfire on October 18, with a final mapped fire area of approximately 157 acres. The fire was reported on Sunday, October 13, approximately six miles southwest of Monticello and a half mile north of the Blue...

BLM seeks Bears Ears Councils

The BLM is seeking public nominations for positions that are, or will soon become, vacant on its Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee, and Utah Resource Advisory Council. Nominations must be submitted by Nov. 20, 2024. Advisory councils and committees (councils) play a crucial role in...

Reactions to Bears Ears Management Plan

Check out our story on the new plan here: https://sjrnews.com/public-lands/proposed-management-plan-released-bears... Our conversation with BLM Field Manager Jake Palma: https://redrock92.podbean.com/e/oct-4exclusive-interview-jake-palma-fiel... The Sportsmen’s Alliance announced that because the...

The Shingle Mill prescribed burn has completed 87 of the 1,500-acres that are scheduled for burning in the Manti La Sal National Forest west and south of Monticello. With continued warm and dry weather, the project has been delayed until weather condititions improve. Brad Stoddard photo

Shingle Mill burn in Patrol Status

Manti-La Sal National Forest fire officials pause on implementing Fall prescribed burning within the Shingle Mill project area on the Monticello Ranger District. The Shingle Mill project area is located west and southwest of Monticello. Previously, approximately 1,500 acres of re-entry broadcast...

House of Fire in Bears Ears National Monument. Courtesy photo

Proposed management plan released for Bears Ears National Monument

A proposed plan to manage Bears Ears National Monument is set to be released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service on October 4. In an interview with Redrock92, Jake Palma, field manager of the Monticello Field Office of the BLM, explained that the public input resulted in...

BLM seeks advisory council nominations

The BLM is seeking public nominations for positions on the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee. Nominations must be submitted by October 18, 2024. Advisory committees play a crucial role in managing public lands. These councils frequently facilitate communication between community...

Tourism to area parks adds $486 million

A new National Park Service report shows that 2.4 million visitors to national parks of the Southeast Utah Group in 2023 spent $397.6 million in communities near the four parks. That spending supported 5,122 jobs in the region and had a cumulative benefit to local economies of $486.1 million. This...