The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is bringing new focus to an old debate on wilderness.

The focus is on protecting the ancient remains scattered throughout the public lands in Utah managed by the Bureau of Land Management. From the remote corners of the Uinta Basin to the isolated canyons of southeastern Utah, there are abandoned cliff dwellings, stone towers, kivas and rock art.

But SUWA says they are being destroyed by off-road vehicles, looting and oil and gas development.

So in a 32-page report filled with glossy photos that highlight the archaeological treasures in Utah, SUWA wants to use archaeological protection laws to force federal land managers to do a better job protecting them.

"The 23 million acres of BLM lands in Utah are home to nearly half a million archaeological sites," said Heidi McIntosh, conservation director for SUWA. Yet, she added, tens of thousands of them have already been damaged.

"Protection of archaeological sites has been a low priority" for the BLM, she added.

McIntosh unveiled the report at a press conference Tuesday. It was a year and a half in the making, a product of research and input from archaeologists, American Indians and other experts, she added.

The report, "Preserving Prehistory," is also an attempt to persuade Congress to pass the "Redrock Wilderness Act," which sets aside 9 million acres for wilderness protection in Utah. Wilderness, McIntosh noted, is the best way to protect the archaeology and paleontological resources.

The report has drawn support from Indian tribes like the Shoshone, Navajo, Paiutes, Utes and Hopi.

"This is important because it's giving Native Americans a voice, a chance to be heard," said Patty Timbimboo-Madsen, cultural resource manager for the 431-member Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Tribe.

The rock art needs to be protected. It tells people something of the past, she added.

"Look at some writings on the wall," Timbimboo-Madsen said. "They are our stories, our histories and our maps, telling people what routes to take."

Duncan Metcalfe, an archaeologist and curator of the Utah Museum of Natural History, said SUWA's report makes two basic points: Humans have an impact whether it comes from industry, transportation or hiking on the archaeological sites. And secondly, the BLM has not effectively managed archaeological sites due to insufficient funding.

"I agree," he said. "But they have done a remarkable job given their resources. They have 13 law enforcement officers taking care of millions of acres."

BLM officials say they do what they can to protect archaeology sites.

"It's a daunting task," said BLM spokesman Don Banks. "Most of the problems are the unintentional damage from recreationists and others."

The best way to head off that problem is by educating the public — something the BLM's Utah office does through a program that teaches environmental ethics in the public schools.

Illegal looting of sites is a constant problem, Banks admits. But Utah is aggressive in prosecuting those cases.

McIntosh acknowledges some high-profile cases have been prosecuted but said more needs to be done.

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For instance, BLM is required to consult with Indian tribes on projects that affect archaeology sites. But the consultation usually comes too late in the development.

Timbimboo-Madsen said they don't feel like they are being heard.

"Yes, they like to invite us. They call consultation calling us on the phone," she said. "We speak but we're not heard."


E-mail: donna@desnews.com

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