What does Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument represent beyond its boundaries on a map? In this episode of This Green Earth, Claire Wiley sits down with Autumn Gillard, coordinator of the Grand Staircase Escalante Intertribal Coalition and a Southern Paiute anthropologist, to discuss the cultural, ecological, and historical significance of the monument in light of recent proposals to reduce its protected lands.
Gillard explains why the landscape is considered an ancestral homeland for many Tribal Nations, the role tribal consultation plays in federal land management, and the concerns surrounding cultural resource protection, stewardship, and public access. The conversation also explores how Utahns and others can stay informed and participate in the ongoing discussion about the future of America's public lands.
