Discovery Pool Projects Approved for 2022
The CNHA board of trustees met on January 21, to preview presentations and grant proposals for Discovery Pool projects for 2022. The board received grant requests from the Canyon Country District of the BLM and the Manti-La Sal Ranger District of the USFS. Projects listed below will receive research grants totaling $50,148.
Ecological Interactions Between American Pikas and Mountain Goats in the La Sal Mountains.
- Principal Investigator: Mallory Sandoval Lambert, graduate student at Utah State University for the Manti-La Sal National Forest.
- Research Question: Do ecological interactions exist between mountain goats and American pikas in the La Sal Mountains?
Investigations in Basketmaker III-Pueblo I Community patterns, the foundations of ancestral Puebloan community in Bears Ears National Monument.
- Principal Investigator: Donald C. Irwin, district archaeologist Manti-La Sal National Forest, Moab – Monticello Ranger District.
- Research Objective: This project will focus on investigating the origins and development of the ancestral Puebloan community in Allen and Chippean Canyons.
Continued Excavations of the Cisco Mammal Quarry: A Rich Small Vertebrate Site in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation.
- Principal Investigator: Brian M. Davis, Associate Professor, Dept of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine for the Canyon Country District BLM.
- Research Question: What will new well-preserved specimens of small vertebrates (e.g. dinosaurs, squamates, and mammals) tell us about terrestrial ecosystem evolution at the end of the Jurassic in western North America?
La Sal Mountain Arthropod Communities; Establishing Baseline Conditions 2022.
- Principal Investigator: Tim Graham for the Moab Ranger District, Manti-La Sal National Forest.
- Research Question: Will introduced mountain goats significantly alter alpine pollinator and ground-dwelling arthropod community structure, either directly or indirectly via their effects on alpine plant communities?
Learn more about CNHA’s Discovery Pool Grants here.
Arches uses Alsco donation for new exhibits
Beginning December 22, 2018, the Federal Government initiated a partial shutdown that lasted 35 days. Although entry to the national parks remained open, many visitor services, including access to visitor centers remained closed. The state of Utah stepped in and kept the parks completely open through the end of the year. A donation from CNHA was approved to help operations at Arches and Canyonlands going into the new year.
Salt Lake-based Alsco Inc., an international linen and uniform rental company donated $100,000 to be split among Canyonlands Natural History Association, Zion Forever Project, and Bryce Canyon Natural History Association to fund the parks through Presidents Day. However, the shutdown ended and the parks reopened the next day. Alsco still wanted their donations to stay in the parks and deemed the money appropriate for use towards educational projects.
“The senior management at Alsco discussed the idea and we decided we wanted to do our part,” said co-CEO Robert Steiner. “Alsco is proud to call Utah home and our employees are inspired by local patriotism and pride in Utah’s natural treasures. We made our contribution to help visitors who had planned their vacations to these beautiful parks and to ensure the businesses and residents that rely on tourism in these areas were supported. We are thrilled to see those funds go to priority education projects.” Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert stated “Utah’s public-private partnerships are a crucial part of our state and our communities. I’m grateful to Alsco for supporting our national parks,”
CNHA used some of their $19,600 portion of the donation to update and replace interpretive panels at the Arches National Park Visitor Center. Working closely with local Native American tribes, the interpretative team at Arches updated a panel on Native peoples in the area. Other panels that were replaced focused on natural history of the area including one on nocturnal animals at Arches. The remainder of the funds provided a Wheeled Instrumentation Sensor used to gather critical data about trails, such as width slopes and hazards.
A huge thank you to Alsco Inc. for supporting the national parks of Utah!
Timed Entry at Arches Begins April 3
Arches has some big news! From April 3 to October 3, 2022 Arches will implement a temporary, pilot timed entry system to help manage traffic and improve visitor experiences.
In this video, Rangers help you plan your next trip and outline what you’ll need to enter the park and learn more on how to obtain your ticket at Arches National Park.
This is an excerpt from the Canyonlands Natural History Association’s Member Newsletter. To find out more about CNHA and how to get your own copy delivered, visit the Canyonlands Natural History Association website.