Over Half a Million Acres of New Wilderness in Utah? Emery County Public Land Legislation Passes the Senate

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Emery County Public Land Management Act as part of S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. The bill is now headed to the House of Representatives. If it passes there in its current form, it would protect 663,000 acres of Utah's San Rafael Swell and Desolation and Labyrinth … Continue reading Over Half a Million Acres of New Wilderness in Utah? Emery County Public Land Legislation Passes the Senate

Lefty’s Soap Box: Spring planting, starting chiles, and other gardening tips (Feb. 1995)

Note: Lefty's Soap Box, a gardening column by former Canyon Echo editor Phil Hall, ran each month throughout the 1990s. If the weather keeps up like this February may become my favorite month. Good moisture, beautiful blue sky days, nights with crystal stars. During the week of the Presidents' birthdays we planted peas. The soil … Continue reading Lefty’s Soap Box: Spring planting, starting chiles, and other gardening tips (Feb. 1995)

Marshall Masayesva’s Mission to Create a Conservation Corps for Hopi Youth

By Zak Podmore While he was growing up on the arid, remote Hopi Nation in northern Arizona, Marshall Masayesva never paddled a kayak or went backpacking. People who lived in his community spent a lot of time outdoors, but the term “recreation” was seldom uttered; Masayesva never thought of himself as an outdoors person. That … Continue reading Marshall Masayesva’s Mission to Create a Conservation Corps for Hopi Youth

The Tiny Town Beauty Pageant and Government Grant Contest

Story by Dessa Hadenfeldt Bluff had been looking forward to this since the moment she heard she was incorporated. Backstage was thrilling, and everywhere she looked there was color. And smells. She could feel them going to her head. Fresh and salt water sprays. Palm and aspen leaves. Cactus and apple fruits. Earth rich with … Continue reading The Tiny Town Beauty Pageant and Government Grant Contest

Could San Juan County Become San Juan Counties?

An amendment that's being called the "Phil Bill" seeks to make it easier for counties to split apart without majority approval Published: February 7, 2019 A proposed amendment to two dozen words in the Utah code that dictates how counties are formed could have profound consequences in San Juan County. Currently, residents in a Utah … Continue reading Could San Juan County Become San Juan Counties?

Impressions of a Newcomer: USU Students Visit Bluff

I am one of 9 students from Utah State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Panning. As a team we are looking at the region surrounding Bluff, Utah as a case study to learn about regional planning.

Rumor Mill: Laundromat

A Canyon Echo reader writes, "When is the laundromat going to be accessible and where should we swap hand me down clothes in the meantime?" Recapture Lodge responds, "We lost the boiler and 3 big storage tanks all at once to corrosion and leaks and it has been a real pain to 1) get someone … Continue reading Rumor Mill: Laundromat

Commission Briefs (2/5/19): Road from Navajo Mountain to Oljato, CRAs, and a San Juan County Railroad?

Much of Tuesday's county commission meeting focused on resolutions related to Bears Ears National Monument, which the Canyon Echo covered at length, but there were also other topics of discussion. Natalie Randall, the county's Director of Economic Development and Tourism, presented information to the commissioners on Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs), which the school district declined … Continue reading Commission Briefs (2/5/19): Road from Navajo Mountain to Oljato, CRAs, and a San Juan County Railroad?

Behind the Shot: Bluff Photographer Paul Martini

Photos and words by Paul Martini A few years ago a photog friend and I hiked to a cliff dwelling in southeast Utah just as a ferocious monsoonal downpour struck. A flash flood came over the pour-off above the alcove. Initially we tried to shelter in the alcove, but there was this high-velocity blast of … Continue reading Behind the Shot: Bluff Photographer Paul Martini

Letter to the Editor: Waste Management Options for Town of Bluff

By Dudley Beck With no prior communication or discussion with Town of Bluff officials, the Bluff Transfer Station was closed by the San Juan County Commissioners on November 17, 2018, exchanging the site to the Hole in the Rock Foundation for land yet to be identified. Prior to this closure, Bluff residents carried their own … Continue reading Letter to the Editor: Waste Management Options for Town of Bluff