Wednesday, May 28th slideshow offers public opportunity to learn about the uniqueness of Cedar Mesa and the proposal to create national designation to protect the landscape
Bluff, UT – Located in remote southeastern Utah, the greater Cedar Mesa area is breathtakingly beautiful but heartbreakingly endangered. This is a place of amazing scenery, with remote colorful canyons, immense vistas, and still the potential for silence and solitude. – all with another rock art panel or ruin around virtually every bend. Some 56,000 archaeological sites cover the greater Cedar Mesa area. These sacred sites are considered “Traditional Cultural Properties” of several Native American tribes.
For many years, archaeologists and locals believed the best way to protect the area was through secrecy. In the digital age, this strategy has not worked, with visitation increasing from around the world. Yet, many Utahns have never heard of Cedar Mesa.
Based in the tiny town of Bluff, Friends of Cedar Mesa is a local non-profit working to preserve the cultural and natural resources of the area. The group is now launching an effort to gain a federal protective designation for an area of approximately 707,000 acres. This would take the form of a National Monument designated by the President under the Antiquities Act. Or, protection could be accomplished via a congressionally designated National Conservation Area achieved through legislation currently being crafted by Representatives Bishop and Chaffetz.
To educate the public about the need for a designation, Friends of Cedar Mesa has just published a Citizen Proposal for Protection. A PDF of this booklet is available for download at http://www.friendsofcedarmesa.org/designation-proposal/.
Friends of Cedar Mesa is also hosting a series of public slideshows to engage conservation-minded Americans in protecting the area. The first such event will be held in Salt Lake City on May 28th.
Cedar Mesa Slideshow: The Future of a Sacred Landscape
Wednesday, May 28 – 6:30 PM
Salt Lake City Public Library – Auditorium
210 E. 400 South – Salt Lake City
