Mission

Provide the aerial perspective to leadership at SUWA, an invaluable advocate and leader in the fight to preserve special wild lands like Labyrinth Canyon and protect Utah's public lands, wildlife, and human wellbeing.

We flew above Labyrinth Canyon, an ecologically important desert landscape with towering hoodoos, spires, and the beloved Green River which flows through red-orange walls of sandstone and offers renowned recreation opportunities.

This landscape is one small piece of the proposed America's Red Rock Wilderness Act (ARRWA) which will conserve vast swaths of desert and create wildlife habitat connectivity across Utah and the greater west. The ARRWA is considered one of the most critical actions we can take to mitigate climate change - these lands and plants store an estimated 247 million metric tons of organic carbon. Preserving those storages, along with the prevention of future oil and gas development, could reduce atmospheric carbon up to 30 million metric tons by the end of the century. From above, it is abundantly clear how worthy this special place is of permanent protection.

The ARRWA is comprised of a patchwork of proposed areas, and throughout its 20+ year history, the patchwork keeps shrinking as successful campaigns preserve pieces of the proposal, a few landscapes at a time. There have been a number of successes, but there are still a number of threats, ranging from unsanctioned OHV travel to mining and energy development. The only way to mitigate these threats is to maintain the pace of conservation and continue preserving lands outlined in this bill.

Click for photos from the flights, geo-referenced photos (download and open in Google Earth), and this collection of Labyrinth Canyon photos.