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| The Blues Wilderness Study Area is one of several areas on the Monument known for its wilderness characteristics. It is an excellent place to learn about as we wait for news about research, rehabilitation and soil stabilization will proceed on the Deer Springs Fire. We, and other nonprofit partners, submitted comments to the BLM about the Deer Springs Fire plan. We expect to hear about the finalized plan soon. We are also waiting to see the what the final decision will be for the Monument’s Resource Management Plan, which is currently under Governor’s Review. See The Land Desk for a good summary of the RMP – unless you want to read the 600+ pages yourself! So while we wait… The Blues is part of the Kaiparowits geologic formation. It’s bluish-gray sandstone and mudstone is in stark contrast with the pinks and oranges of the overlying Claron formation that makes Bryce Canyon National Park so beautiful. I rarely see anyone there because it is such a stark and seemingly barren environment. It can also be dangerous if you wander into the nearby fossil fuel facility unprepared for asphyxiating gases that emerge from the area. The Blues’ biggest claim to fame is the vertebrate fossils that were discovered there since the 1980s: fishes, turtles, amphibians, lizards, snakes, crocodilians, dinosaurs, and mammals. Many invertebrate fossils are also known from the area. What you may not know is that Grand Staircase Escalante Partners played a crucial role in funding paleontological work at the Bureau of Land Management during a time of low government funding. The Monument is so incredibly fossil-rich that it has been featured in prominent dinosaur road trip travel blogs. Read on to learn about cottonwoods and drought, find out how we are participating in the Escalante Canyons Art Festival and Earth Gives Day, and get a glimpse of some of the scenery and plants in The Blues WSA. -Jackie |
