Forests Archives - Page 3 of 4

June 12, 2014March 4, 2026

National Park or National Monument?

Established in 1916 the National Park Service manages all properties included in the National Park System. This system includes over 400 areas that encompass more than 84 million acres of land. These areas can go by one of 31 different titles. Within this system, Utah boasts 1 national historic site, 2 national recreation areas, 7 national monuments, and 5 national parks. While the reason for some of these titles is self-explanatory, the reason for others is less clear. National Park or National Monument?

For example, what makes one area a “national park” and another a “national monument?” Most people – including myself – would probably guess that the difference is in size. And while this is sometimes true, the primary difference is the reason for which each is established, because these two designations grew from historically separate concepts. The notion of the national park, which was simply the idea of large-scale natural preservation for public enjoyment, grew in popularity throughout the 1800s. As a result you can typically think of a national park as a spectacular scenic feature or natural phenomena preserved for inspirational, educational, and recreational value.

On the other hand, the idea of the national monument arose as a result of the need and desire to also protect prehistoric cliff dwellings, pueblo remains, and other historic ruins found by explorers of the American West and Southwest. Efforts to protect these sites resulted in the passing of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Therefore a national monument is usually designated to preserve objects of prehistoric, historic, cultural, and/or scientific interest. However, the Antiquities Act has been used more widely to preserve natural features as well, meaning the content of national monuments can be quite varied from wilderness areas to military sites to buildings and ruins.

There are also a couple of legal differences between these two designations. National parks are established through acts of Congress, whereas national monuments are established by Presidential proclamation. Administratively, the National Park Service manages all national parks. While national monuments, depending on their location and content, can fall under not only under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, but also that of the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Defense, or the Bureau of Land Management.

So, it’s not just size that makes the difference, its intent, content, process of establishment, and administration. The next time you visit one of Utah’s national parks or monuments, will you be able to tell the difference?

For Wild About Utah, I’m Anna Bengtson of Park City.

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Zion National Park

Golden Spike National Historic Site
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Grand Staircase National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument
Pipe Spring National Monument(Border Utah/Arizona)
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Credits:
Image: Courtesy and Copyright Anna Bengston
Text: Anna Bengston

Additional Reading:

Biggers, Ashley. “National Parks Versus National Monuments.” Outside Online. 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/escapes/travel-agent/The-Difference-between-National-Parks-and-National-Monuments.html.

McDonnell, Janet. The national parks: shaping the system. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 2005. Web, 8 June 2014. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/shaping/index.htm.

O’Connor, Mary. “Killing A Bill that Could Save National Parks.” Outside Online. N.p., 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/the-current/footprint/Five-Treasures-We-Owe-to-the-Imperiled-Antiquities-Act.html.

“Parks and Monuments.” Utah. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.visitutah.com/parks-monuments/.

Righter, Robert. “National Monuments to National Parks:
The Use of the Antiquities Act of 1906”, National Park Service History: National Monuments to National Parks. N.p., Aug. 1989. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/hisnps/npshistory/righter.htm.

United States. National Park Service. “National Park Service History: National Park System Nomenclature.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/nomenclature.html.

United States. National Park Service. “Frequently Asked Questions.” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 28 May 2014. Web. 8 June 2014. https://www.nps.gov/faqs.htm.

Yard, Robert Sterling, and Isabelle F. Story. “Parks vs. Monuments.” The national parks portfolio. 6th ed. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931. Web, 8 June 2014. https://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/portfolio/portfolio0b.htm.

March 27, 2014March 1, 2018

The History of our National Forests

Click to view larger image of Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees clearing the land for soil conservation, Photo Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (NLFDR) — Civilian Conservation Corps
enrollees clearing the land
for soil conservation
Photo Courtesy National Archive
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (NLFDR)

Terraces near Mount Nebo trailhead
Payson Canyon
Photo Courtesy & Copyright © 2011
Lyle W. Bingham, Photographer

Albert Potter
Photo Courtesy USDA Forest Service
The Greatest Good
A Forest Service Centennial Film

Click to view larger image of Terraces near Mount Nebo Trailhead, Photo Courtesy & Copyright © 2011 Lyle W. Bingham, Photographer — Civilian Conservation Corps
enrollees clearing the land
for soil conservation
Photo Courtesy National Archive
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (NLFDR)

Terraces near Mount Nebo trailhead
Payson Canyon
Photo Courtesy & Copyright © 2011
Lyle W. Bingham, Photographer

Albert Potter
Photo Courtesy USDA Forest Service
The Greatest Good
A Forest Service Centennial Film

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

The History
of our
National Forests

Warm springtime weather brings clear trails up in the mountains, and hiking through the shade of Douglas-fir on a warm weekend day had me wondering about Utah’s National Forests and how they came to be.

Back in the days of the early pioneers, Utah’s mountains were recognized as resources for survival, providing clean water for drinking and irrigation and lumber for building homes. The high mountain pastures were also valuable summer forage for livestock. In the late 1840’s, Parley Pratt declared, “The supply of pasture for grazing animals is without limit in every direction. Millions of people could live in these countries and raise cattle and sheep to any amount.” Many settlers shared this view, and unmanaged grazing resulted in deteriorated rangelands in just 20 to 30 years. By 1860, some Utah towns were experiencing regular flooding and heavy erosion due to insufficient vegetation to stabilize the soil. Unregulated wholesale timber harvesting during the same period also contributed to these conditions.

In 1881, the US Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry (later renamed the Forest Service) was established, and its first job was to gather information about the condition of the nation’s forests. In 1902, Albert F. Potter, who was the inspector of grazing for the General Land Office, conducted a survey of potential Forest Reserves in Utah. Potter stated that “the ranges of the State have suffered from a serious drought for several years past, and this, in addition to the very large number of livestock, especially of sheep, has caused the summer range to be left in a very barren…condition.”

The demand for lumber and wool during the First World War again led to increased timber harvesting and grazing on our forests. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help implement conservation projects across the country. The CCC was fundamental in re-foresting much of the Wasatch and Uinta Mountain ranges, planting over three million trees in nine years.

Utah’s Forest Reserves were created in the years soon after Albert Potter’s surveys, and were gradually combined into Utah’s seven National Forests that now cover approximately 10,500,000 acres, or about 20%, of the state. Grazing and timber harvesting still occur on much of Utah’s National Forests, but our practices are supported by scientific research and over a century of experience, ensuring more sustainable multiple use and management of our forests today.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy National Archives, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library

Text: Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.
Additional Reading:

Baldridge, K.W. The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah. Utah History To Go.
https://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/from_war_to_war/thecivilianconservationcorps.html

Prevedel, D.A., and C.M. Johnson. 2005. Beginnings of Range Management: Albert F. Potter, First Chief of Grazing, U.S. Forest Service, and a Photographic Comparison of his 1902 Forest Reserve Survey in Utah with Conditions 100 Years Later. United States Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service. R4-VM 2005-01. https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/r4_vm20005_01.pdf

CCC Camps in Utah, CCClegacy.org https://www.ccclegacy.org/CCC_Camps_Utah.html

August 15, 2013March 4, 2026

Investigating the Causes of Wildfires

Click for a larger view of fulgurites. Courtesy Wikimedia, John Elson, Photographer — Wildfire near Hyrum, UT
Showing Fixed-Wing Retardant Drop
Courtesy & Copyright 2013
Holly Strand, Photographer

Fulgurites, caused by lightning
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons,
John Elson, Photographer
Licensed under GNU Free Documentation License v 1.2

Utah Sand Fulgurites
Found on Mount Raymond
Courtesy Utah Geological Survey
Carl Ege, Photographer

Rock Fulgurite (circled)
Found on quartzite at the summit of
Mount Raymond, Wasatch Range,
Salt Lake County, UT.
Courtesy Utah Geological Survey
Carl Ege, Photographer

‘Frozen’ leaves pointing in the direction of prevailing winds during the passage of the fire.
From the ‘Wildfire Origin & Cause Determination Handbook’
Courtesy National Wildfire Coordinating Group(NCGW.gov)

Hi I’m Holly Strand of Utah State University’s College of Natural Resources.

It’s fire season in UT. The hill slopes have turned a parched yellow-brown and the trees look thirsty and flammable. As of Aug. 13, there were 7 fires burning across the state.

One of the first questions that arises with any wildfire is “What started it?”

And I wonder: “How in the world would you figure this out given the destruction that a fire leaves in its wake?”

The first step toward identifying a cause involves finding the exact spot where the fire started. To do this, investigators look for witnesses. And having information on wind direction for the duration of the fire helps a lot. But even in the absence of these, the fire itself leaves clues regarding the direction of movement. And if you know the direction of movement, you can trace the path backwards to the ignition site.

For instance, on a tree or post, the side exposed to the oncoming fire will show deeper charring, more loss of wood and more white ash than the unexposed side.

However the leeward side of a tree may have the highest char mark. That’s because as strong winds blows the fire past a tree, the flames are drawn into the eddy zone on the leeward side and extend higher up the trunk. Still, the deeper char will be on the side facing the advancing flame. So to get to the area of the fire origin, you’d want to follow direction indicated by the most damaged tree face.

When green leaves of shrubs or trees are scorched, they tend to become soft and pliable and bend in the direction of the prevailing wind. After the fire passes they become fixed in this position as they cool, still pointing in the direction of the wind. So the opposite direction of the pointing leaves will take you closer to the fire origin.

Another thing that generally helps fire investigators is the fact that all fires need time to achieve their maximum spread rate/intensity. A newly ignited fire may take 30 min or more to ramp up. As a result even with high intensity fires, the area of initial ignition will show relatively less damage; upper foliage and branches may even remain intact.

Once the area of origin is identified, investigators look for the human or natural source of the blaze. Footprints, tire marks or evidence of a campfire are noted with interest. Nearby power lines, railroad tracks or electric fences may have provided the initial spark. Investigators often end up on their hands and knees searching for things such as cigarette parts, ignitable liquid residue; bullets or empty shell casings.

If lightening is a suspected source investigators look for strike marks or splintered wood fragments. Lightening can also leave a glassy residue, called a fulgurite, when the strike melts sand on the ground or on vegetation.

Thanks to Wesley Page of USU’s Department of Wildland Resources for sharing his wildfire expertise.

For sources and more information on investigating the cause of wildfires go to www.wildaboututah.org

For Wild About Utah and USU’s College of Natural Resources, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Images: Hyrum Fire, Courtesy & Copyright 2013 Holly Strand
Courtesy Wikimedia, John Elson, Licensed under GNU Documentation License V1.2
Also images from Wildfire Origin & Cause Determination Handbook, Courtesy National Wildfire Coordinating Group(NCGW.gov)
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading

Cheney, Phil and Andrew Sullivan. Grassfires: Fuel, weather and fire behavior. 2008. CSIRO. https://www.amazon.com/Grassfires-Fuel-Weather-Fire-Behaviour/dp/0643093834

Wildfire Origin & Cause Determination Handbook. 2005. A publication of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Fire Investigation Working Team NWCG Handbook 1. PMS 412-1. May 2005. https://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/nfes1874/nfes1874.pdf

Investigating Wildfires: Part One. Interfire online. https://web.archive.org/web/20240406114120/https://www.interfire.org/features/wildfires.asp
(https://www.interfire.org/features/wildfires.asp accessed August 14, 2013 — Updated Apr 17, 2025 and pointed to Waybackmachine archived content)

Investigating Wildfires: Part Two. Interfire online. https://web.archive.org/web/20240406114120/https://www.interfire.org/features/wildfires2.asp
(https://www.interfire.org/features/wildfires2.asp accessed August 14, 2013 — Updated Apr 17, 2025 and pointed to Waybackmachine archived content)

Map of current large active wildland fires in Utah.
(accessed August 14, 2013) https://www.utahfireinfo.gov/

Live Worldwide Network for Lightning and Thunderstorms in Real Time, Blitzortung, https://en.blitzortung.org/live_lightning_maps.php?map=30 [URL inactive as of 1 Aug 2020}]

Wildfire Investigation, Wildland fire investigation: common wildfire causes, National Interagency Fire Center, US Department of the Interior, https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/fire-prevention-education-mitigation/wildfire-investigation

September 20, 2012March 4, 2026

The Amazing Uintas

Hi, I’m Holly Strand.

Coming from Colorado, I’m something of a mountain snob. So while I always found Utah’s mountains to be agreeable, I admit to thinking they were somewhat petite. Then I saw the Uintas. About 200 miles long and 30-40 miles wide, the Uintas lie south of the Wyoming border primarily in northeastern Utah but with its eastern flank extending into Colorado.

There are several interesting features that make these mountains stand out in my mind.

For one thing, the Uintas are one of very few east-west trending mountain ranges of significant size on the planet. The only other one in N. America is the Brooks Range. This east-westness can feel strange to someone who orients themselves on a north-south axis. Because the path the sun follows the range instead of crossing it, my sense of direction was thrown off. Perhaps this happens to others too and that’s why we often hear about people getting lost in the Uintas.

Glaciation is another interesting aspect. The Uintas were more heavily glaciated than any other part of Utah. The most recent glacial episode was approximately 30,000 to 10,000 years ago. These Pleistocene glaciers left wide-bowl shaped valleys and scooped steep-walled cirques near the main ridge line. Nowadays, sparkling lakes, streams and meadows grace the ice-carved basins and valleys.

Speaking of lakes, even a Minnesotan might be impressed with the density of the Uinta Mountains lakes. Of course, the total number depends upon what you define as a lake. But most sources say there are between 800-1000 heavily concentrated in the High Uintas.

Utahns gets a lot their water from the Uintas. The mountains are an important source for several Wasatch Front rivers and streams including the Bear, the Weber, and the Provo. Precipitation and snowmelt on southern slopes either flow into the Duchesne River or directly into the Green River.

Because they are below 14,000 feet, the Uintas didn’t fit my Colorado-derived definition of “real mountains.” However there are 17 peaks all over 13000 feet–the highest is King’s Peak at 13,528 feet. Considering the beauty and wildness and the water features in these 13ers and their surroundings, the Uintas definitely scored with me. I’m looking forward to returning to explore some more.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy Wyoming Department of Transportation, Talbot Hauffe, Photographer
Courtesy Wikimedia, Hyrum K. Wright, Photographer
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading

Map of the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, https://www.fs.fed.us/wcnf/unit/kamas/mirror_lake_scenic_byway_map.shtml

Guide to the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, https://www.fs.fed.us/wcnf/unit/kamas/mirror_lake_scenic_byway.shtml

Biek, Bob. Grant Willis, and Buck Ehler. 2010. Utah’s Glacial Geology.
https://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/articles/pdf/utah_glacial_geology_42-3.pdf

Dehler, C.M., Pederson, J.L., Sprinkel, D.A., and Kowallis, B.J., editors, 2005. Uinta Mountain
Geology: Utah Geological Association Publication 33, 448 p. https://www.utahmapstore.com/uga33.html

Hamblin, Kenneth. 2004. Beyond the Visible Landscape: Aerial Panoramas of Utah’s Geology. Provo: BYU

Jeffrey S. Munroe, Benjamin J.C. Laabs, Joel L. Pederson, and Eric C. Carson. 2005.
From cirques to canyon cutting: New Quaternary research in the Uinta Mountains
Field Guides, 6, p. 53-78. https://fieldguides.gsapubs.org/content/6

Kirkland, Gordon L. Jr. , 1981. The Zoogeography of the Mammals of the Uinta Mountains Region. The Southwestern Naturalist Vol. 26, No. 4.

Shaw, John and James Long. 2007. Forest Ecology and Biogeography of the Uinta Mountains, USA. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, Research 39(4): 614-628.