Trump proclamation threatens scientific potential of Grand Staircase
By Rebecca McKean
Four hundred miles away from the nearest stretch of ocean in a stunning desert landscape that stretches farther than the eye can see is not exactly the place you would expect scientists to be hunting for fossils of extinct marine creatures. But it is one of the best places on the planet to do so.
On a recent trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, an undergraduate geology major suddenly stopped in her tracks, leaned over to pick something up, and excitedly yelled, “I found something!” In her hand was a glistening, near-perfect shark tooth, her very first fossil find.
Researchers working in Grand Staircase make these kinds of discoveries all the time, largely due to the area’s unique geologic setting. During the time of the dinosaurs, southern Utah was part of an ancient ocean called the Western Interior Seaway that extended from the Canadian Arctic down to the Gulf of Mexico. Grand Staircase contains abundant fossils from that ocean, everything from oysters and ammonites to larger animals like fish, sharks and turtles, and even plesiosaurs, extinct marine reptiles with large paddle-like limbs and elongated snouts.
I have been conducting research with students in Grand Staircase for more than a decade. The chance for discoveries of these unique organisms, along with the beauty and remoteness of the landscape, are what keep me coming back year after year.
In one study, recently published in the journal “Cretaceous Research,” I looked at the preservation of vertebrate organisms from one group of rocks, the Tropic Shale, to determine detailed information about the environmental conditions at the time the Western Interior Seaway existed. More recently, we’ve been studying the diversity of vertebrates in the seaway, gaining insights into how the seaway could support such an astounding array of terrifyingly large predatory animals.
Most importantly, though, is the work of my undergraduate students in Grand Staircase. My students have prospected for and discovered new fossil sites, participated in excavations, collected data, and learned the techniques of field work in terrain we could never replicate in our home state of Wisconsin.
They have brought specimens back to our small liberal arts college where they have completed impressive undergraduate research projects. Many of my students have presented the results of their work at national conferences in geology, and they have used their work as preparation for more intense graduate-level projects.
These kinds of experiences have made a huge difference in the lives of my students, thanks to the uniqueness of the geological and paleontological resources located within Grand Staircase.
Beyond my undergraduate research students, the research I conduct in Grand Staircase is also used in my teaching, as examples in lectures and lab exercises. I do a lot of outreach, particularly with elementary-school kids, who still have that love for science that so many lose later in life. These kids love hearing about paleontology field work and love to ask me questions and tell me their own stories about dinosaurs.
Unfortunately, the future of this work, my research, my students’ experiences, and my outreach in my local community is now gravely threatened, along with that of many other researchers who also work in Grand Staircase.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was established by President Bill Clinton in 1996 under the power of the Antiquities Act, specifically to protect the valuable scientific resources held within, including the paleontological resources.
The monument was cut in half by a Presidential Proclamation from President Donald Trump Dec. 4, 2017, the largest rollback of public land protections in history. Some significant regions were cut, including my entire field area.
On Feb. 2, the end of the 60-day waiting period, these areas become vulnerable. While still federal property, these areas will now be open for mining claims, the construction of new roads, and even potential sale, something which was not possible when they were part of the monument.
The potential long-term impacts of the loss of monument protections is devastating from a research perspective, but also from a personal perspective.
The thought of the loss of fossils and landscapes that can be found nowhere else on the planet should be upsetting to every single American citizen. These are our lands, our scientific heritage, and they deserve to be protected.
If you want to help, visit the website for the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, a nonprofit organization working to preserve and protect Grand Staircase. Take the next steps to preserve this place for yourself, for your children, and for all future generations. We owe it to them.
Rebecca McKean, Ph.D., is a paleontologist specializing in plesiosaurs. She is an associate professor of geology at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a research associate at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
The viewpoints expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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