Photo essay: Touring the areas to lose protections at Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante

By Eric Bennett

Dry Fork Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, by Eric Bennett

“Our wilderness in its natural, unaltered state, is more valuable than anything that we could hope to extract from it.”

You may have heard already about the proposed reductions and divisions of the Grand Staircase — Escalante National Monument in southeast Utah. What you may not know is what that actually looks like. For the politicians creating these plans, Escalante is just the name of an area on a map, an area they say isn’t being used for anything worthwhile or financially rewarding. What they fail to see is that our wilderness in its natural, unaltered state, is more valuable than anything that we could hope to extract from it. That value can’t always be shown in numbers or data, it has to be seen, smelt, touched, and heard. It is a spiritual value that has to be felt by the human soul.

I’ve been traveling all around the Escalante region ever since the boundary reductions were proposed by the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. My goal has been to visit the amazing places that can be found within the areas that are to be excluded from both the national monuments as well as the newly proposed national park. In these areas there are plans to mine for coal, drill for oil, pave new roads, plant new grazing fields, and allow ATVs and off roading once again. My aim isn’t only to document these places and share what they look like, but to also share what they feel like in their natural state. I have been working to capture these places in a way that expresses their priceless value. I want to show people that these places are so much more than just rocks, dirt, and tumbleweeds. These canyons, badlands, and valleys contain temples of peace, shelters for the weary soul, and geological masterpieces that surpass even the wildest imagination. Escalante is a witness to the world that our planet is special, that it is a living, super intelligent organism, that creates, enjoys, and loves, just like we do. These places deserve to be protected for their celebration and worship, not altered, excavated, or destroyed in Man’s pursuit of short-term financial gains.

The estimated value of coal and oil reserves within the current monument boundaries has been reported to be anywhere between $212 and $312 Billion. It’s incredibly apparent what the motives behind these new boundary reductions and alterations are by viewing them on a map in respect to where the majority of the coal and oil is located. What I am sure many people are unaware of is that even within the two national monuments and proposed national park, mining and drilling will still be permitted. These plans seem to have nothing to do with preservation and everything to do with extraction and exploitation. Having one national monument on one side of the road, and another on the other side makes no sense from a touristic standpoint. Making a national park that excludes an enormous amount of the popular landmarks or their trails doesn’t seem to be the best plan either as far as creating protection or an attraction.

People that have sided with the new decisions say that it will be better for the local economy, and that their financial pursuits have been unfairly limited by the current national monument restrictions. My personal belief is that our public lands should be preserved for the good of many, citizens as well as foreigners, not used up for the benefit of a few.

Arguments have been made that even with the mining, oil drilling, paved roads, ATV off-roading, and increased grazing, the many incredible landmarks of the Escalante area will still remain intact. Anyone who has visited will know that these places have so many more dimensions that should be preserved for our benefit other than just the way they look. The experience a person can have in this wild area has so much more to do with the silence, the space, and the freedom one feels by abandoning the busyness, noise, and hurry of the modern day cities and suburbs. These places are the last few havens we have left where we can still experience the sacred stillness of the natural land. Among this incredible stillness, our minds, bodies, and spirits can finally become still as well, and we can become more in touch and in tune with our true selves, the meaning of life, and the world we live in.

Tour some of the areas in Grand Staircase-Escalante that will lose protection

The Paria Badlands are easily the most colorful badlands in all of the southwest. Here you can witness the art of erosion as you take in the countless layers of colors, more than you can count. These badlands will be taken out of the existing monument boundaries if the proposal goes through. Paria Badlands, Eric Bennett

The Rimrocks are another geological wonder. These narrow, sandstone giants stand alone supporting massive boulders on their heads. The diversity found in the Grand Staircase is second to none. This area, while currently protected under Wilderness Study Area status would also be excluded from the national monument. This means the surrounding area could be altered or developed which would still effect the essence of this special and unique place.

The Wahweap Hoodoos are a geological wonder as these brittle, fragile, hoodoos stand towering up to 60 ft tall. The mudstone seems to fall apart just by blowing on it, yet it has remained for millions of years supporting these incredible formations. Here you can find amazing, intricate designs of all kinds, the doodles of Mother Nature.

Zebra Slot Canyon. This candy striped, narrow canyon of pillars comes alive with the light. Those that travel here can spend hours watching the light change and bounce in different directions, transforming this mystical corridor entirely. While this small slot canyon itself would still be within the new national monument or national park, it’s trail to access it would be completely outside of the boundaries.

Salt Mud Cracks. Even right where you walk, if looking closely, you can find amazing intricacies and beautiful creations of nature caused by both rainfall and evaporation. The geological wonders of the Escalante region come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes it just takes a closer look to recognize them.

Escalante is filled with many incredible slot canyons that tell us an intimate story of the power of water. The lessons one can learn by closely observing and admiring their walls and winding tunnels are endless. There are several slot canyons in this small area along the Coyote Gulch, each one unique in its own way. All of these will be excluded by the new boundary reductions, falling back into the regulations of the BLM which are much less protective than those of the current national monument.

Eric Bennett is a full time landscape photographer based in Northern Utah. He travels all over the world capturing photos to inspire humanity to conserve and protect the little wilderness we have left.