Honors

Canyonlands Competition

Canyonlands National Park surrounds the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers in southeast Utah. Established in 1964, the park’s original boundaries were drawn arbitrarily, the result of political compromises dictated by the concerns of the day. Ever since, conservationists have hoped to “complete” the park as originally conceived by incorporating the full ecological and erosional basin below the high rims of adjoining mesas. This completion proposal primarily involves the re-designation of federal lands already held by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service.

In 2008-2009, nine students interviewed residents and officials from San Juan and Grand counties as well as federal land managers and scientists. We heard from diverse experts and stakeholders and conducted extensive background research.

We concluded that a key problem lies in systemic conflicts inherent between competing federal land agencies that have opposing legal mandates and quite different land management objectives. We recommend a new interagency coordination policy designed to reduce the conflicts that arise whenever two agencies share a border. Given the ongoing border conflicts in the Canyonlands region, we also proposed new models for collaboration and the creation of a new Canyonlands National Preserve. This approach to “completing” Canyonlands would help ensure the park’s integrity while also allowing for dialogue and flexibility in making future management decisions.