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Photo provided by Jackie Grant, 2025.
| As you can imagine, 2025 has been off to a rocky start. Our organization was one of many that felt the effects of the Federal funding freeze. We have been working very hard to keep our staff in place and continue to make progress on our work that supports the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and its connected watersheds and landscapes. In January, we attended the Rally for Public Lands at the Utah State Capitol where we were joined by an estimated 1,000 people to show support for all of Utah’s public lands. January also involved heated discussions over the renaming of the Burr Trail Scenic Backway to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Burr Trail Backway. Keep reading below to learn what the outcome of that proposal was. In February, we attended the Public Lands Alliance annual conference and trade show where we were invited to share a record-breaking number of educational presentations, and received recognition for our work! Read on to learn about our experience at the Public Lands Alliance. We are now in March and the pace hasn’t slowed at all. My data visualization skills are being put to the test as the administration continues to fire public lands employees and terminate leases on the buildings where they work. Some of our Federal partners have lost their jobs, taken the deferred resignation/early retirement option, or have retired without replacement, which will impact our work and that of remaining Federal staff throughout the region. Let’s end on a more positive note because there are some! In March, I moderated the Utah Native Plant Society‘s Rare Plant Meeting, which was the most highly attended in its history. Rare plant enthusiasts spent the day learning about all the amazing work happening throughout Utah, and many met each other in person for the first time. A portion of our native plant program funding survived and we will soon have a plan in place to get our work done with the reduced amount that we received. The recent snowfalls in southern Utah will certainly help with our native plant work. We remain inspired by this magnificent landscape and the people who help us protect and steward it. Remember the positive effects that volunteering and building community can have on your health, and join us if you can. -Jackie |
