"If each of us acknowledges our indebtedness to such places of the heart-those which have shaped who we have become or who we wish to be- then we must figure out a practical way to "acknowledge this national debt" or, better, to invest in those places that nurture the American spirit."
Nabhan, Gary Paul, Testimony, Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, 1996.p. 66.
The Cedar Mesa Project (CMP) is a grassroots endeavor aimed at minimizing human impacts in the greater Cedar Mesa area through education on the environment and cultural and natural history. We hope to rekindle a new respect for the landscape, the Native American archaeological artifacts and ruins, and also the historical signatures and artifacts left by members of the early expeditions to the area.
The Cedar Mesa Project is affiliated with the Canyonlands Natural History Association and the Bureau of Land Management in an educational capacity providing information about "low impact" and "leave no trace" practices for hiking and camping in desert environments as well as A Suggested Etiquette for the Cedar Mesa Area for visiting and exploring archaeological sites of the Hisatsinom, the Ancestral Puebloan people of the area.
As the population increases, our ability to inadvertently or unconsciously alter the landscape is compounding. Our collective and individual decisions about how to conduct ourselves when visiting southeastern Utah is becoming increasingly significant to the area's future.
Members of the CMP participate in a yearly educational rendezvous on Cedar Mesa. Members are asked to provide information at trailheads or while hiking or backpacking about:
In addition, past actions of CMP have included an in-depth review of a Grand Gulch Management Plan; A Critical Review and other related BLM projects and policies.
CMP offers detailed information about low impact and leave no trace practices for hiking and camping in desert environments as well as etiquette tips for Archaeological Site Etiquette of the Hisatsinom, the Ancestral Puebloan people of the area. We provide suggestions on Public Contact, Interviewing Visitors, and tips on dealing with vandalism.
We hope to rekindle a new respect for the landscape, the archaeological artifacts and ruins, and for the land's ancestral people, as well as being a presence for environmental concerns and historical artifact stewardship in the Public Lands use discussions. Please join us in the Cedar Mesa objectives.
More links available for information about the Cedar Mesa Project Network:
Return to Cedar Mesa home page.
"All evidence suggests that tourism is the greatest single threat to the
archaeological resources of the Colorado Plateau."
Rick Moore, Grand Canyon Trust.
- URL of this page:
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/environment/cacv/'CACVINTR.HTM'
- World Wide Web page by SCCS.
- Copyright ©1996, 1999 SCCS.