DEAR EDITOR
I had the pleasure of attending several of the Canyonlands National Park 50th Anniversary events held in Moab and at the park last week. Kudos to the National Park Service and the Friends of Arches and Canyonlands for the fabulous events they hosted. The inspirational historic films depicting the area’s incredible beauty and remoteness along with the diverse presentations at the Needles all represented why Canyonlands deserves the national park status bestowed on it by Congress in 1964. However, as Walt Dabney (a former Canyonlands superintendent) so eloquently conveyed at the screening of “Our Canyon Lands” and as the National Parks Conservation Association has advocated over the past decade, there is a need to complete the national park boundary and more accurately encompass the landscape originally eyed for inclusion in the park. “Completing” Canyonlands National Park would bring the park boundaries out and up to the rim of the wingate cliffs and include the entire basin – thus creating a consistent management mandate and removing some of the external threats to park resources. As Canyonlands celebrates its 50th anniversary and the National Park Service moves toward its Centennial in 2016, I hope Utah’s Congressional delegation considers legislation to further protect this magnificent landscape.
