Page 8 - Cedar Mesa News Today

In late April, at the site known as Birthing Rock near Moab, Utah, vandals defaced thousand-year-old petroglyphs, scrawling the words “white power” and other obscene graffiti, including an ejaculating penis, across the red sandstone. Only one of the boulder’s four petroglyph panels remained unscathed. The vandalism came just a few weeks after a rock climber bolted climbing routes over petroglyphs near the Sunshine Slabs, north of Utah’s Arches National Park.   “I think people view t...

Ancient Native Americans may have cultivated medicinal plants in Bears Ears, study finds Brian Maffly © Provided by Salt Lake Tribune (The Natural History Museum of Utah) University of Utah anthropologist Brian Codding surveys an archaeological site in the Bears Ears region, documenting the presence of plants with cultural importance to Native Americans. U. researchers and their Indigenous colleagues found 31 plant species that grow at such sites, suggesting the Ancestral Pue...

Monday May 17, 2021 Governor Spencer Cox has said Utah will likely sue if President Joe Biden enlarges Bears Ears National Monument, but experts say that could be a hard case to win. Plus, Utah officials are cutting back on jobless benefits, a move critics say will hurt thousands of recipients. And, water is again flowing in the Colorado River’s delta in northern Mexico.  Show Notes Photo: Friends of Cedar Mesa Director Josh Ewing points to petroglyphs at Sand Island Campground. The area wa...

KUER Friends of Cedar Mesa Director Josh Ewing points to petroglyphs at Sand Island Campground. The area was taken out of Bears Ears National Monument when the boundaries were redrawn in 2017. Just five miles west of Bluff in southern San Juan County, there’s a campground called Sand Island. It’s nestled between a steep cliff and the bank of the San Juan River, and it’s home to some of the oldest rock art in America. Renee Bright President Barack Obama designated roughly 1.35 million acr...

Would you pay more to camp in Capitol Reef National Park? The park in south-central Utah is seeking public comment about a camping fee increase starting next year, a Monday press release said. For the Fruita Campground, with 71 campsites, the nightly rate would increase from $20 to $25. If you have a lifetime pass, it would increase from $10 to $12.50. And for the Group Campsite, with a 40 person capacity, fares would increase $100 to $125.  "The proposed fee increase would bring the park in l...

Ah, the great outdoors. The sun on your face, the wind at your back, and (hopefully) a space to explore with your furry pal. While a walk in the park might seem like the most obvious place in the world to bring a dog, most U.S. national parks have strict rules regarding if and where pets are allowed. Guidelines can vary greatly, so we’ve compiled a list of each one, ranking them from most to least dog-friendly, to help you plan where to take your next parks adventure with your canine compa...

The current unbridled growth of the tourism industrial complex in Moab and much of southeast Utah points out the need for urgent protection of our nearby county, state and federal public lands. Locally, we can all see what happens when public lands are not adequately protected. Looking more regionally, our new Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, recently toured southeast Utah to learn more about Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. She visited with Native American groups, B...

KUER Moon House is an archaeological site on Cedar Mesa. It is the only site in Bears Ears National Monument that requires a permit. This year is shaping up to be one of the busiest ever for visitation in and around Bears Ears National Monument, according to advocates who say tourism is wreaking havoc on the fragile landscape. Tourism in the area has been increasing for over a decade, said Josh Ewing. He’s the executive director of Friends of Cedar Mesa, a nonprofit group that works to pro...

Published April 28, 2021 at 9:21 AM MDT Listen • 5:05 / A new report from Utah housing advocates shows the state could lose 40% of federally subsidized rentals for older adults by 2045. This story and more in the Wednesday morning news brief. Wednesday morning, April 28, 2021 State A new report from Utah housing advocates shows the state could lose 40% of federally subsidized rentals for older adults by 2045. Otelo Reggy-Beane with the Utah Housing Coalition aut...

If a Bears Ears monument, larger or smaller, won’t guarantee cultural sites aren’t trashed, what will? More money and more resources will help manage the growing crowds, but real protection will rest with more education and hikers following the rules. (Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) A ceremonial kiva, one of the many Moon House structures, May 4, 2010. Moon House is a Pueblo III-period cliff dwelling located in southeastern Utah on Cedar Mesa in McLoyds Canyon. It was created...