American Whitewater Analysis–National Monument Reductions
Posted: 12/13/2017
By: Evan Stafford
American Whitewater sprang out of the need to rally our community around our shared love for
whitewater, to protect, restore and celebrate the rivers that have given us so much. When the
President of the United States announced his intentions to reduce in size Bears Ears National
Monument by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly half, we wanted to
first see how the new borders would affect the protections these Monuments afforded several
spectacular whitewater resources within their current boundaries.
The Lower San Juan River:
Protecting the Bears Ears Monument region had been a significant priority for American
Whitewater, primarily because the area encompasses this incredible run. With vast archeological
resources, a geologically marvelous and deep canyon, reliable flows and family-friendly
whitewater, the Lower San Juan is one of the finest multi-day river trips in the country. When
Bears Ears was designated last year we cheered the protections it brought but were also
disappointed that the entire river corridor was not included, with a section 18.7 miles above,
and 6.8 miles below Mexican Hat remaining outside the Monument boundaries, a compromise
stakeholders had asked for in the Public Lands Initiative (PLI).
Under the reduced Monument boundaries a 3.3 mile section above the standard put-in at Sand Island
and an 11.5 mile section below Mexican Hat to the Goosenecks would fall outside the
Monument.
The Colorado River:
Much like the San Juan formed the southern boundary, the Colorado River downstream from Moab
formed the northernmost boundary of Bears Ears National Monument. The boundary lined up with
Canyonlands National Park providing contiguous landscape-level protection for the river above the
confluence with the Green River near Cataract Canyon. This is the most common run to start a
multi-day Cataract Canyon trip and is also used for shorter trips, especially for canoes, with a
popular jet boat shuttle back from the confluence.
Under the reduced Monument boundaries 13.6 miles of the Colorado River below Moab would lose the
protections they enjoyed under Bears Ears original Monument boundaries.
Bears Ears by the Numbers
Original monument: 34 miles (San Juan and Colorado Rivers)
Reduced monument: 5.6 miles
Affected river miles 28.4 (84%)
Colorado River 13.6 miles
San Juan River 14.8 miles
Escalante River:
The landscape surrounding the Escalante River, for which Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument is partially named, houses some of the southwest’s most legendary terrain. Mythic
slot canyons drop off the plateau into the canyon where semi-rare desert flows allow a floating
tour of these cathedral like confluences.
Under the reduced Monument boundaries the Escalante River and surrounding landscape would remain
in one of three proposed new Monuments.
Paria River:
The Paria River is a rarely paddled but incredible slot canyon, 5.5 miles of which were included
in the original Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument boundary. The entire 5.5 miles falls
outside the reduced Monument boundaries. (Go here
for a read on the second descent of the Paria in the American Whitewater Journal)
Grand Staircase-Escalante by the Numbers
Original monument : 26.7 miles (Escalante and Paria Rivers)
Reduced monument: 21.2 miles
Affected river miles: 5.5 (21%)
Paria River: 5.5 miles
Monument designations arise out of local input and culminate in the public asking the President
to use the Antiquities Act to permanently protect places with significant natural, cultural, or
scientific features. American Whitewater was engaged in protection efforts and advocated that
under any protection plan, legislative or executive, whitewater boating be recognized as an
appropriate and valued recreation activity. When Bear Ears was designated we were proud that
through our stewardship work and your public input, the proclamation recognized the world-class
recreational opportunities of the Monument, and specifically included whitewater paddling as one
of those activities allowing the public to experience and enjoy the objects of historic and
scientific interest that Monument protects. In the new proclamations, recreation is not
identified as a valuable resource and it is therefore unclear which, and even if, recreation
activities will remain acceptable uses inside the new boundaries. Monuments do not necessarily
protect recreation access, and so ensuring that access for paddling continues will be one of our
top priorities moving forward.
National Monuments protect miles of whitewater rivers across the country. The Taos Boxes of the
Rio Grande River, Browns Canyon of the Arkansas River, and the Yampa and Green Rivers in Yampa
Canyon and Gates of Lodore are all protected by National Monuments. A number of National
Monuments, including the Grand Canyon, were later designated National Parks by Congress.
(A complete
list of Monuments that protect whitewater resources can be found here). We have referred to
these designations as, “permanent protections.” Rescinding large portions of these
designated lands represents a significant threat to our ability to provide rivers with long-term
protections. If our public lands protections are turned on and off as administrations come and
go, over time we'll lose many of the values we cherish most about these places.
These vast reductions in size (1.1 million acres, or 85 percent, of Bears Ears, and 800,000
acres, or 45 percent of the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument) are controversial and we expect
them to be held up in courts with at least
five lawsuits challenging this Executive action. We also see opportunities to improve
these rivers protections through legislative action that
is beginning to take shape, where new boundaries for Bears Ears may protect the entire San Juan
River corridor. Wherever these designations land you can expect American Whitewater to be a part
of the process, relentlessly advocating for policies that benefit the paddling community and the
rivers that bind us.