Our National Monuments

[Jeffrey]

I'm sure many of you saw this image when it appeared over on the other forum we frequent. But it has renewed meaning to us now that this area and many other like it are in danger of destruction. PLEASE do all you can to preserve these monuments. If you're not sure what to do and where, lookup Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, and all such conservation groups. Join and donate. I participate in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument And Vicinity Facebook group. Lots of useful info there. And write the hell out of your congressmen. Thank you.

White Pocket, Paria Wilderness, Utah.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Jeffrey,

This is a very cool image from White Pockets! For as beautiful as White Pockets is in color, it can sure make for striking B&W's also.

Conserving the land around is important indeed.

 

[Bob Denton]

Beautiful! Very impressive.

 

[Bart Carrig]

Thank you Jeffrey. I have lost a lot of sleep over the final announcements, and I've wanted to comment, as Escalante and Bears Ears are two of my favorite locations for the perfect mix of solitude, reflection, history, culture and photographic beauty.

We've all "taken away" beautiful visions of these great places, but it's not right that we should see and appreciate their meaning and beauty, but we fail to speak out to preserve them for our future and for our children's future. I think it's incumbent on us to act and speak on behalf of these cultural and geological masterpieces.

It's only fair that the states which are fortunate enough to have these beauties in their own back yard for the benefit of their own citizens, and who reap benefit from the economies the parks and monuments generate, should also sacrifice a bit of autonomy in exchange for the opportunity to have, know and appreciate these beautiful creations of the eons.

The National Park system and the Antiquities Act were among the greatest achievements of our fathers and ancestors, who had the foresight and vision to preserve them for future generations. This after suffering the great sacrifices of wars and the depression.

We all know that nothing comes easy, but destruction and neglect come fast and hard ... and can never be re-wound.

We can only help if we spread the word, and give back ourselves. As photographers, we have already "taken". Time to give back.

Bart

 

[Bart Carrig]

Oops, sorry Jeff if I just jumped in to your beautiful thread. I don't mind deleting and starting separately. Your white pocket is one of the most beautiful I have seen there, and certainly deserves viewing in solitude. I guess having been stirred by your observations, I reacted too quickly to the opportunity to join your plea. I've joined the Escalante effort as well, (but not via Facebook).

Bart

 

[AlanLichty]

One of the best images I have seen of those buttes. Nice in B&W especially.

I am on the same path as Jeffrey and Bart - Grand Staircase Escalante (GSENM) and Bears Ears are my southern Utah go to places and more than a handful of the images I have posted on here are from those national monuments. Yet another example is Cottonwood Wash:

Cottonwood Wash

• AlanLichty
• Dec 12, 2017

Scenery along the Cottonwood Wash Road. Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument.

Almost immediately behind this formation you see is the western edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. One of the primary goals for truncating the boundaries of GSENM is to open up the Kaiparowits to coal mining. The coal mining industry looked long and hard at the deposits in the Kaiparowits back in the 70's and walked away when they figured out the costs of recovery and transport to market made no economic sense. The local politicians never forgot the promise of $$$ and have lobbied to keep the door to mining ajar ever since. For the record mining that coal needs an open pit and not mine shafts.

 

[Jeffrey]

Oops, sorry Jeff if I just jumped in to your beautiful thread. I don't mind deleting and starting separately. Your white pocket is one of the most beautiful I have seen there, and certainly deserves viewing in solitude. I guess having been stirred by your observations, I reacted too quickly to the opportunity to join your plea. I've joined the Escalante effort as well, (but not via Facebook).

Bart

Bart, thanks for being aware of thread hijacking, but I do not at all mind your excellent image posted here. And THANK YOU so much for the wonderful expression of gratitude that we as photographers have for the land. So very well put.

 

[Tex Schneider]

Gorgeous White Pocket image, Jeffrey!

Thanks for the list of resources.

Tex

 

[beavens]

Jeffrey,

Nicely seen, captured and processed! The lines are really great.

Jeff

 

[Zeph]

Jeffrey - one of the best images of White Pocket I've seen.
Thanks for the pep-talk, we're faced with a similar situation here in Southwest Oregon with the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument rollback.
Landscape photographers play a significant role in promoting stewardship of natural areas or nature in general, imo...

 

[JimFox]

Jeffrey, this is todays Daily Featured Post.

I can't say Congrats like I normally would, because I wish we didn't even have to be in a position to discuss this.

There were many other Posts that I did want to Feature with truly awesome photos by Guy, Kyle, Michael, Jim and others, but in the end this was too important to not highlight today.

 

[Martín el Escocés]

Count me in here. Wonderful posts, and great awareness raising of a great issue. These places are internationally renowned and people from all countries and cultures flock to see them. Photographs on-line have helped to promote this but Bart's last paragraph is very pertinent indeed. Thanks to Jeffrey for raising this issue here!

 

[AlanLichty]

I should add that the Southern Utah Wilderness Association (SUWA) mention by Jeffrey at the top of this thread was one of the voices that was raised loudly to protest the some of the original proposals to strip mine the Kaiparowitz Plateau for coal. This would have been visible from the overlooks at Bryce Canyon.

 

[Mike Mancil]

Although from a different region, I share you concerns. Excellent shot and you're doing good work in the preservation.

 

[Jeffrey]

Thank you all for the kind comments but more so for your support in preserving OUR lands. The amount of lies and deception by the current regime is staggering and, sadly, works on the weak minded, a large portion of our population. I am doing something positive every single day to counter this horrible trend. We all need to write and call every politician we know to lodge our stances on preservation. It's a very complex issue so study up and respond. Photography is a powerful tool to increase awareness for those that simply don't know what is happening or what to do about it. I don't want to make this forum a political hothouse, so if you want to know more let's communicate privately unless Jim is willing to give us a podium here. Thanks!

 

[Kyle Jones]

Your shot of White Pocket is just beautiful - as are most of the shots I've seen from these areas. Regardless of who is managing our public lands, we need to keep fighting to keep them safe. Thanks for sharing.

 

[BarryHamilton]

Extraordinary image, Jeffrey! Stunner!

 

[Jim Dockery]

Excellent work all round.