Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
Honor the past and safeguard the future of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument through science, conservation, and education.
Work with Us

Work with Us
What we Do
Our Focus
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) founded in 2004 to protect and preserve Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
We are committed to:
- Promoting science, conservation, and education on the Monument.
- Increasing public awareness and understanding of the Monument.
- Providing resources to support the Monument’s scientific, interpretive and educational programs.
- Expanding our membership so we represent a diverse constituency that supports the Monument.

For Science
This natural area remains a frontier, a quality that greatly enhances Grand Staircase’s value for scientific study and presents unique opportunities for geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, historians, and biologists.
For History
The Monument is home to countless Native American cultural sites, western pioneer history, and the greatest diversity of dinosaur fossils found anywhere on Earth. Since time immemorial, Native American people have inhabited, crossed, lived on, and been stewards of the lands that make up what we now know as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
The following Tribes have deep connections to the Grand Staircase-Escalante region:

Science
Expanding knowledge and understanding of the natural wonders, biodiversity, and unique ecosystems with which this landscape is endowed by participating in scientific inquiry and historical investigation, as well as advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in land management decision-making.

Conservation
Ensuring Grand Staircase-Escalante’s culture, ecology, history, recreation, and science are recognized, sustained, and enhanced. Work on the ground with organizations, government agencies, and volunteers to repair and restore the Escalante River watershed, as well as prevent and mitigate damage at cultural and ecological sites.

Education
Providing in-person and virtual learning environments in which people can engage with Monument topics, and practice critical thinking, as well as exchange ideas, and learn from one another, thereby fostering the connection and understanding needed to support the Monument’s long term well-being and respect ancestral lands.
For All
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment in our workplace and across the Monument. We recognize the complex and difficult histories that have shaped American public lands, from dispossession of Native lands and forced removal of indigenous communities to create public lands and parks, to the ongoing exclusion of people of color from conservation and preservation movements.
We acknowledge that the area known as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and its surrounding areas are the ancestral land and historical territory of the Hopi, Zuni, Dine/Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Jemez Pueblo, and Acoma nations.
We are on a journey to transform our work–to foster diversity through equitable actions that create a just and inclusive environment, within and beyond our organization. Learn more about how we are integrating justice, equity, and inclusion into our work.
Volunteer Opportunities
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Latest News
Mars Desert Research Station tests extraterrestrial conservation strategies
How do we study potential life on Mars without destroying sensitive resources in the process? A study at the Mars Desert Research Station, in Hanksville, UT, sought to find out.
Statement on Proposal to Rename the Burr Trail Scenic Backway
Statement on Proposal to Rename the Burr Trail Scenic Backway
GSEP Resource Management Plan Statement
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is pleased to share that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed the Record of Decision for the final Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) on January 6, 2025.
November 2024 Newsletter
What a year to have decided to quit my long-time teaching job and take on the reins of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. The results of the latest US elections will have a direct impact on our work and the status of the Grant Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We will continue to serve in our long-standing support role because the land abides. Our labor will be needed now more than ever.
November 2024 Update
In this update, we will take a quick minute to give thanks, remind you of the different approaches to land management that are on the table next week, and provide you with some new ways to help support the stewardship of this fabulous landscape.
October 2024 Newsletter
September and early October were busy months in the communities around the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Escalante Canyons Art Festival brought visitors from around the world. Our team was glad to engage with Festival visitors at our booth, and those who attended my Roving talk about bats, and Kevin’s poetry workshop.