Grand Staircase-Escalante Symposium 2023
Ways of Understanding and Protecting Land and Water Resources in the Grand Staircase-Escalante Region, Symposium 2023
March 16-17, 2023 | Escalante, UT
Hosted by EWRP
Presentation video links are provided in the agenda below for each session.
Day 1 (March 16th)
Introductory Remarks (Videos available here)
Linda Whitham — The Nature Conservancy, Central Canyonlands Program Manager
Laura Daniel-Davis — US Department of Interior, Assistant Secretary for Land & Minerals Management
Indigenous Perspectives (Videos available here)
Autumn Gillard — Pipe Spring National Monument, Administrative Support, “Southern Paiute astronomy
Davina Smith — Dine’ Nation, board of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, “Perspectives of a Dine’ Land Steward”
Max Early — Laguna Pueblo, “Poems on land and forest animals”
Clark Tenakhongva – “Hopi planting and crops”
Moderator: Georgie Pongyesva
Music by Clark Tenakhongva, Hopi musician
Wildlife (Videos available here)
Olivia Carril, PhD — Bee Scientist and Consultant, “Exploring plants and their pollinators in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument: A celebration of mutualisms”
Nicki Frey — Utah State University, Dept. Wildland Resources, Extension Associate Professor, “Breeding Birds in the Escalante River after Russian Olive Removal”
Macie Monahan — Bryce Canyon National Park, Wildlife Biologist Fellow, “How Bryce Canyon NP plans to mitigate Utah prairie dog road fatalities using wildlife underpasses”
Moderator – Jake Schoppe (Dixie National Forest)
Water (Videos available here)
Crystal Tulley-Cordova — Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, Principal Hydrologist, “Water and climate”
Laura Norman — U.S. Geological Survey, Western Geographic Science Center, Tucson, Research Physical Scientist, “Stream restoration and detention structures”
Seth Arens — Western Water Assessment, University of Colorado & University of Utah, Research Scientist, “Ecological succession in emerging tributaries to Glen Canyon with focus on Escalante region”
Larry Stevens – Spring Stewardship Institute, Director, “Spring ecosystem assessment and rehabilitation prioritization using GSENM and related data”
Moderator – Lydia Joukowsky (Utah State University, graduate student)
Research (Videos available here)
Ryan Nourai — Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Board Member, Columbia University MFA Candidate, “The Role of Affordable Housings in Contemporary Conservation”
David Polly — Indiana University Dept of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Professor, “Paleontology of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Region”
Tara Bishop — USGS-Moab, Ecologist, “Generalized State and Transition Models for Grand Staircase-Escalante landscape management using Ecological Site Groups”
Moderator – Kevin Berend (Grand-Staircase Escalante Partners)
Day 2 (March 17th)
Vegetation (Videos available here)
Lisbeth Louderback — Natural History Museum of Utah, Curator of Archaeology; University of Utah, Associate Professor of Anthropology, “Detecting Domestication of the Four Corners Potato (Solanum jamesii Torr.)” (co-authors: Bruce Pavlik, Alfonso del Rio, John Bamberg, and Cynthia Wilson)
Stan Kitchen — US Forest Service (ret.), Research Botanist and Ecologist, “Frequent Surface Fire: a Keystone Process in pre-1900 Southern Utah Forests”
Steve Leavitt — Brigham Young University, Asst. Professor of Biology & Curator of Lichens, “Lichen diversity in biological soil crusts”
Moderator – Marc Coles-Ritchie (Grand Canyon Trust)
History (Videos available here)
John Leshy — Univ of Calif emeritus professor of law; past Solicitor U.S. Department of Interior, “History of GSENM establishment”
Nizhoni Tallas — University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Graduate Student & Research Assistant, “It’s a Sign: Understanding Variations in Telling of Indigenous Stories Within Public Outdoor Spaces”
Tamra Borchardt — Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Tribal Vice Chairperson & Indian Peaks Band Chairperson, “Termination of the Indian Peaks Band to Federal Recognition; including historical aspects that will examine environmental and socio-economics of the Indian Peaks Band”
Moderator – Julie Suhr Pierce (Natural Resource Economist)
Engagement (Videos available here)
Audrey Kruse — Grand Canyon Trust, Community Engagement Director, “Community Engagement at the Grand Canyon Trust”
Kaitlin Martin — Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, Stewardship Programs Manager, “Volunteering work of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners”
Artemisia Turiya — Bureau of Land Management, Paria River District, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, Your Contributions to BLM Planning: Tools for Presenting Information and Knowledge”
