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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.
Thank you to everyone who stood up to protect Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument!
On Thursday June 11 the Senate missed a 60-day window required to pass a joint resolution via a simple majority to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to dismantle to current monument management plan.
Your voice and support for public lands protections makes a difference.
Photo by @morgan.sjogren with support from @ecoflight
Jun 18
The Escalante River Watershed Partnership (ERWP) is a collaboration of state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, researchers, local businesses, and private landowners that works to coordinate science and riparian restoration projects in the Escalante River basin. Since 2009, and in partnership with ERWP, GSEP has led efforts to remove the invasive woody tree Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) from riparian habitats of the watershed. Leveraging $11 million over 8,000 acres of river habitat, the project has grown to become the largest riparian restoration effort of its kind in the Southwest.
Restoration field tech Alex Engel scouts the route into the Escalante River with a utahconservationcorps crew this spring.
Jun 17
Meet Zach Earl, our new Native Plant Program Manager. Zach (saltair_house) grew up in Utah and fell in love with nature as a kid. After receiving a Linguistics and International Studies degree from the University of Utah, he worked in education as a teacher and academic advisor.
Over time, he became more deeply interested in native plants, growing 100s of species from seed, joining the Utah Native Plant Society Board of Directors, and planning large-scale native plant-focused events, such as PlantFest. These led him to GSEP where Zach brings a passion for building community through connecting with native plants. Outside of work, you might find him gardening, camping with his dogs, or botanizing the deserts and mountains of Utah.
Jun 14
💦Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument protects the Escalante and Paria River watersheds. Both are vital tributaries of the Colorado River, which supports 40 million people! If you live in another part of the U.S. and eat vegetables in winter you rely on this water too.
Colorado River flows are extremely low this year from drought and high heat. Reservoirs like Lake Powell are rapidly shrinking. Every drop of water in the system is critical.
The current Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument management plan ensures robust protections from mining, grazing, and off road vehicles for these lifelines. Please call or write your representatives and urge them to vote against Utah delegates use of the Congressional Review Act to undo this critical piece of management that protects our water.💦
Write your reps: https://monumentsforall.org/grandstaircase/
Photos 1 & 2 taken with support from @ecoflight ✈️
Jun 11
Today is the 120th Anniversary of the Antiquities Act. This law gives Presidents the authority to protect public lands (and oceans), along with historic and cultural sites. Since President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law in 1906, it has been used by 18 presidents from both parties to designate 168 monuments. This includes the designation of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996 by President Bill Clinton.
Photo taken with support from @ecoflight
Jun 8
The Paria townsite area on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is home to some incredible geology that reflects a past when water covered the area then receded or evaporated in cycles over thousands of years. These cycles of wetness and dryness laid the foundation for the layers of color we see today in sedimentary formations throughout the Monument.
Jun 6
Meet Puq, our newest PAWtner!🐾
Your Monument companion can be a PAWtner too, for a $25 annual donation. In return, you will receive a special PAWtners sticker, your pet`s photo in our gallery, and a digital toolkit that reviews desert safety and etiquette.
Becoming a PAWtner means your four-legged friend joins a community of animal lovers who care about Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Our program informs visitors about hazards specific to the region, explains pet etiquette expectations, and recognizes the pet that has made your trips to the Monument so special.
Your donation helps support restoration, education, and stewardship efforts to ensure these lands and the adventures they inspire last for generations to come.
Welcome to our new PAWtners, and say hello if you run into them on the Monument. https://gsenm.org/pawtners/
Jun 3
Please welcome our new Restoration Technician, Gabe Brown! In 2024, Gabe was the Overall Volunteer of the Year for the fabulous nonprofit, Sageland Collaborative. Gabe helped one of Utah`s special toads, the boreal toad, and volunteered as a part of the Wildlife Watch Camera Response Team.
We are so excited to work with Gabe on our Russian olive removal and low tech process based restoration work in the Escalante River Watershed. Gabe joins Katie and Alex in the Restoration team as a seasonal technician.
Jun 1
Trail Ambassadors Wanted!
Trail Ambassador volunteers are representatives of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners (GSEP) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). A Trail Ambassador is a volunteer 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.
More information for interested volunteers can be found here and linked in our Instagram bio: https://sites.google.com/gsenm.org/stewardship-project-site-draft/trail-ambassadors/become-a-trail-ambassador?authuser=0
May 30
