Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Join Daryl Hannah and Neil Young – Redrock Report May 2013

11:54 am

May 2013

Here’s what is happening this month with the redrock:
1.  Join Neil Young and Daryl Hannah in our Greater Canyonlands photo campaign.
2.  Bad news for Hatch Point in Greater Canyonlands.
3.  Help increase congressional support for Utah wilderness.
4.  Attend an upcoming redrock event in NJ, NY and CT.



Take a Protect Greater Canyonlands photo! Daryl Hannah and Neil Young did.


Daryl Hannah and Neil Young

Recently, actress/director Daryl Hannah and rock legend Neil Young were in Moab and showed their support for protecting Greater Canyonlands!

Join them by taking a Protect Greater Canyonlands photo!  Click here to print out your own black and yellow sign and then upload your own photo: http://bit.ly/GCCampaign

More ways to get involved this summer:

Our Greater Canyonlands postcard campaign has been a great success!  Staff at the White House Council on Environmental Quality have noticed the thousands of signatures from redrock supporters throughout the country, and we will continue to deliver signed postcards to President Obama throughout the summer.

Sign up to collect postcards in support of protecting Greater Canyonlands from your family, friends and beyond by clicking here.

You can also visit http://bit.ly/GCCampaign to send an email to President Obama, tweet to the White House, ask your friends to like the Protect Greater Canyonlands Facebook page, and more.



BLM green lights potash drilling on Hatch Point

The Moab Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved a mining company’s proposal to drill four exploratory potash* wells on Hatch Point.  K2O Utah LLC, owned by a large Australian mining company, has little concern for the harmful effects its drilling and development activities have on the outstanding scenery of the Greater Canyonlands area; it is interested in making a profit.  Period.  Yet, the tens of thousands of visitors that flock to the Hatch Point and Needles Overlook area annually are not doing so to view drill rigs, sludge pits, tanker trucks and industrial equipment.
Hatch potash
Area of Hatch Point that would be affected by
potash development.

The BLM has acknowledged that its current management plan failed to correctly identify areas where oil, gas and potash development should occur.  As a result, the Moab BLM is currently conducting an evaluation of public lands near Moab (known as the Master Leasing Plan process) to correct this defect.  As part of the Master Leasing Plan, the BLM is considering new management constraints for various areas, such as closing the Hatch Point area to leasing.   The BLM’s draft Master Leasing Plan is scheduled for release later this summer.

The BLM’s resolve to rush headlong into a decision to allow potash drilling on Hatch Point illustrates the immediate need for a higher level of protection for the lands in Greater Canyonlands.

Read more on our blog by clicking here.



Help grow congressional support for Utah wilderness!

ARRWA Facebook graphic

In April, redrock champions Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, legislation that would protect over 9 million acres of spectacular public lands in Utah.

Currently, the redrock bill has 71 House and 12 Senate cosponsors — those members of Congress who have officially signed on in support of this visionary legislation.  Now, our task is to continue to grow this support during the coming months.  Contact from you — their constituents — is what really makes the difference.

What you can do:

1) Send an email to your members of Congress by clicking here.

2) Sign our petition to Congress by clicking here.

If your members of Congress have already cosponsored America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act (see list by clicking here), please thank them by clicking here.



Attend a Utah wilderness event!


Learn more about Utah wilderness, the Greater Canyonlands campaign, and how you can get involved.  In the coming weeks, presentations will be held in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York.

Click here for the upcoming schedule of presentations and events. To suggest a venue or group for a presentation in your area, please contact Clayton (clayton@suwa.org) in the Midwest and Jackie (jackie@suwa.org) in the East.



change.orgSign the petition to protect Greater Canyonlands


BLM Green Lights Potash Drilling on Hatch Point

6:06 am

The Moab Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved a mining company’s proposal to drill four exploratory potash* wells on Hatch Point.  K2O Utah LLC, owned by a large Australian mining company, has little concern for the harmful effects its drilling and development activities have on the outstanding scenery of the Greater Canyonlands area; it is interested in making a profit.  Period.  Yet, the tens of thousands of visitors that flock to the Hatch Point and Needles Overlook area annually are not doing so to view drill rigs, sludge pits, tanker trucks and industrial equipment.

Area of Hatch Point that would be affected by potash development.


BLM’s decision puts the cart before the horse.

The BLM has acknowledged that its current management plan failed to correctly identify areas where oil, gas and potash development should occur.  As a result, the Moab BLM is currently conducting an evaluation of public lands near Moab (known as the Master Leasing Plan process) to correct this defect.  As part of the Master Leasing Plan, the BLM is considering new management constraints for various areas, such as closing the Hatch Point area to leasing.   The BLM’s draft Master Leasing Plan is scheduled for release later this summer.

The BLM’s resolve to rush headlong into a decision to allow potash drilling on Hatch Point illustrates the immediate need for a higher level of protection for the lands in Greater Canyonlands.

*Potash is the common name for mined compounds of potassium in water-soluble form.  It is used primarily as one of the main ingredients in common varieties of fertilizer.

Take a protect Greater Canyonlands photo! Daryl Hannah and Neil Young did.

11:25 am

Actress/director Daryl Hannah and rock legend Neil Young were in Moab last Friday and showed their support for protecting Greater Canyonlands!

Neil later wrote (https://www.facebook.com/lincvolt):

“Imagine the beautiful majestic canyons and valleys of Canyonlands National Park, the same legendary landscape immortalized around the world in car commercials and posters of American beauty, and you know where we are now. Imagine a nightmare where these lands are raped by Big Oil and the American Government, working hand in hand to create another tar sands disaster for Planet Earth in our sacred Canyonlands National Park. The plans are made and the forces are moving.
Ignoring the Climate Chaos that has become the new normal, ignoring the inefficiency of tar sands oil production, ignoring the species becoming extinct as you read this, ignoring a chance for a clean tomorrow, these forces of reckless greed are moving forward and if you don’t do something about it and get active, raise awareness, make your own statements, then it will be partly your responsibility. The destruction will rest on your shoulders. Get active. Make change now. Fight for Freedom to choose the fuel you use. End fossil fuel abuse. End carbon waste. Begin now.”

Join them by taking a Protect Greater Canyonlands photo! Click here for more info: http://bit.ly/GCCampaign

An Earth Day Ode to Greater Canyonlands

10:34 am

The second annual Moab Earth Day Bazaar: an Ode to Greater Canyonlands was once again a great success. Organized by Canyon Country Rising Tide and SUWA, this year’s festivities brought hundreds of locals and visitors to Moab’s Swanny City Park to enjoy live music, art and craft vendors, food vendors, and many children’s activities. Local non-profits shared their visions with the community, with topics including wildlife rehabilitation, Utah tar sands mining, uranium mining and milling, oil and gas extraction and, of course, the continuing campaign for a Greater Canyonlands National Monument. We’d like to thank all of the people who came and supported the event and look forward to the third annual Bazaar next year!

Attend the 2nd Annual Moab Earth Day Bazaar!

8:05 am

For those of you who live in the Moab area or will be in Moab this weekend, come celebrate Earth Day at Swanny City Park!

Saturday, April 20, 2013
11:00am – 4:00pm
Swanny City Park in Moab
400 N 100 W

Come to a community celebration in the park as spring kicks off! This year’s Moab Earth Day Bazaar will host discussions on local environmental issues and options for sustainability. There will be art, craft, and food vendors, kid’s games, as well as representatives from many local organizations that need your support to protect our region.

ADMISSION IS FREE! Save your dollars to come support a local surge of your crafty community.

RSVP and invite friends on Facebook by clicking here.