What is the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument?
September 18, 1996 marked a stunning and exciting reversal in the pursuit of protection for America s redrock wilderness. President Clinton signed into existence the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This monument, encompassing 1.7 million acres, includes the Kaiparowits Plateau as well as scenic slot canyons in the Escalante area. Although monument status does not in itself preclude coal extraction, in practice it would be extremely difficult to place a mine and its ancillary power lines and roads within the monument. Such structures are unquestionably incompatible with wilderness values safeguarded by the monument.
