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Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument — larger than all five of Utah’s national parks combined — is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in America. It was protected because it matters: to science, to history, and to the people who call this region home. Its cliffs and canyons hold fossils that reshape our understanding of life on Earth, sacred and historic sites that carry deep cultural meaning, and fragile desert ecosystems found nowhere else.
But protection on paper is not enough.
Grand Staircase–Escalante Partners is a rural nonprofit rooted in the communities that surround the Monument. We work alongside local residents, scientists, land managers, and Tribal partners to care for this place every day. We support research and education, preserve cultural memory, improve trails and habitat, and create opportunities for local people to stay connected to the land and benefit from it responsibly.
The Monument’s future depends on steady, local stewardship. Our job is to make sure this landscape — and the communities tied to it — remain strong for generations to come.
Members of the GSEP board will be logging 30 miles (total over the course of a month) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Please join us!
From August 18th until September 18th, we challenge you to complete 30 miles your way—whether you run, walk, hike, or bike. Miles can be logged in small segments or all at once. Best of all, you can create your own personalized fundraising page to rally support for Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. Here are some photos of GSEP’s board members hiking in the monument.
Ready to log some miles for this incredible landscape? Sign up, create your page, and join the challenge today!
https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/Kanab/GSENM30th
Aug 18
On July 13th, the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument were reduced by 90% in a Presidential Proclamation signed by President Trump. The reduction is so drastic that the actual Grand Staircase geological formation is no longer included within the Monument boundaries.
This rollback is devastating, but it is also the catalyst for our fiercest fight yet. The story of Grand Staircase-Escalante is far from over. Even in these dark times and moments of uncertainty, hope shines through, and that light comes directly from people like you. Public lands belong to the public, and the outpouring of care, advocacy, and community support from passionate defenders remains our strongest line of defense.
We cannot afford to stand by while our natural heritage is carved up for short-term gain. Help us defend the monument by supporting us today.
Thanks to Blake, Jen, the Hellions @hellsbackbonegrill, @littlebonefoodtruck, @bouldermountainlodgeutah, and an anonymous donor, your impact will be DOUBLED. Every dollar you give will be matched up to $3,000. Link in our bio.
Aug 17
Running ninety miles from its headwaters to where it empties into the Colorado River at Lake Powell, the Escalante River and its tributaries are an oasis of green in a vast desert landscape. Along the way, the river crosses three federal jurisdictions plus state and private lands. As threats such as climate change and drought continue to mount, close collaboration will be increasingly important to achieving conservation goals. GSEP works to convene diverse stakeholders on landscape-level initiatives that restore degraded habitats, protect species, and monitors climate change.
This spring, our Restoration team worked with the Utah Conservation Corp to remove invasive Russian olive in the lowest Escalante River corridor. Packraft support was used to haul tools and equipment into this remote area.
Aug 16
Are you putting in miles to celebrate Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s 30th anniversary? There’s still time to start!
From August 18th until September 18th, we challenge you to complete 30 miles your way—whether you run, walk, hike, or bike. Best of all, you can create your own personalized fundraising page to rally support for Grand Staircase Escalante Partners.
Ready to log some miles for this incredible landscape? Sign up, create your page, and join the challenge today!
https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/Kanab/GSENM30th
Aug 13
This month’s GSENM Science Lecture is “The Geology of the Colorado Plateau & Formation of the Colorado River System" presented by Lance Weaver of the Utah Geologic Survey. The event is on August 12 at 6pm at the Kanab Library. Show up to support science in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument!
Aug 10
Did you know the reduced Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument boundaries completely eliminate the Grand Staircase formation from monument protections?
“The Grand Staircase is an immense sequence of sedimentary rock layers that stretch south for 100 miles (161 km) from Bryce Canyon National Park through Zion National Park and into the Grand Canyon. In the 1870s, geologist Clarence Dutton first conceptualized this region as a huge stairway ascending out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon northward with the cliff edge of each layer forming giant steps. Dutton divided this layer cake of Earth history into five steps that he colorfully named Pink Cliffs, Grey Cliffs, White Cliffs, Vermilion Cliffs, and Chocolate Cliffs. Since then, modern geologists have further divided Dutton`s steps into individual rock formations.”
Source: https://www.nps.gov/brca/learn/nature/grandstaircase.htm
Photo: NPS Photo / Peter Densmore
Aug 9
Despite the incredibly dry weather and multiple wildfires, our GSEP Seed Techs have been hard at work finding the best plant species to use to restore burned and disturbed landscapes. Along the way they encountered one of the cutest denizens of the Monument: the horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi).
It`s been a surprisingly productive year, and the plants have been exceptionally productive on the 2024 Deer Springs Fire scar.
To learn more about the Seeds of Success program, please join our Seed Workshop in Kanab on September 6, 2026, or get added to the waitlist if it is full.
Link in IG bio: https://sites.google.com/gsenm.org/stewardship-project-site-draft/stewardship-projects/2026-projects
Aug 9
Amid the federal attacks on the monument, this landscape still needs a lot of on the ground care. Do you love hiking in GSENM? Do you live in the region or visit frequently?
We’d love to train you to be a trail ambassador.
Trail Ambassador volunteers are representatives of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners (GSEP) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). We like to use the phrase “play a ranger for a day” to describe the experience. A Trail Ambassador is known as an individual who provides information to trail users, emphasizing safety and use etiquette as well as reporting current conditions and alerting the BLM staff to any attention needed. The GSEP Trail Ambassador Program stands apart by taking a holistic approach to deepen the visitors connection through the "Honor the Land" ethic. GSEP Trail Ambassadors will educate visitors using Native Connections, Resilient Ecosystems, Scientific Inquiry, and Cultural Awareness and Reflection, as well as Leave No Trace and Visit With Respect Principles to minimize harmful impacts on the Monument.
Link in our bio to learn more!
Aug 4
To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, we are officially launching our "30 for 30th" Fundraiser!
From August 18th until September 18th, we challenge you to complete 30 miles your way—whether you run, walk, hike, or bike. Best of all, you can create your own personalized fundraising page to rally support for Grand Staircase Escalante Partners.
Ready to log some miles for this incredible landscape? Sign up, create your page, and join the challenge today!
Link in IG bio: https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/Kanab/GSENM30th
Aug 1
