Last week, President Obama gifted the American people the Browns Canyon National Monument — a scenic and recreational gem in our neighboring state of Colorado. Browns Canyon is renowned for its outstanding white water rafting, wildlife habitat, hunting and hiking. Now, it is time that the president turn his attention to an unprotected jewel in Utah – Greater Canyonlands – the magnificent 1.8 million acres of land surrounding Canyonlands National Park.
Greater Canyonlands deserves monument protection. One of the most exquisite and extraordinary landscapes on Earth, it harbors treasures of ancient archeological ruins, rock art, and offers unparalleled hiking, rafting, climbing, jeeping and sightseeing.
As a fourth generation Utahn with roots that go back to the Mormon settlement era, a frequent user of our public lands, and a co-founder of a new startup in Salt Lake, I understand stewardship as essential to our economic, spiritual, and social well-being.
I grew up in a forward-looking Utah family committed to shaping a bright future for our state. As dean of the University of Utah School of Engineering, my grandfather, Wayne Brown, realized that developing technology and entrepreneurship was essential to nurturing our state's economic and social well-being. Consequently, and with opposition from some parties, he founded what would become the Technology Transfer Office and was a motivating force in the foundation of Research Park. His intent was to help transfer University innovation into private businesses and jobs. This bolstered our economy and established Utah as an entrepreneurial state. It made the University of Utah a leader in technology transfer.
When I look forward in the spirit of my grandfather, I see that my time calls for another kind of investment to foster our economic and social well-being — an investment in protecting the spectacular landscapes and resources that grace our state, including Greater Canyonlands. And, much like his initiatives, this investment requires a paradigm shift. We have to protect and value the intrinsic beauty of Utah as an asset which generates revenue for Utah.
Since graduating from BYU, I have worked in the outdoor industry designing products that are built, sold, and used in Utah and around the world. I've watched people from around the world use these products in their homeland as well as in our world-famous red rock country.
Recreation has become a vital part of Utah's economy. It plays a major role in diversifying and vitalizing our economy and allows our citizens to find satisfying employment in places they love. Consider these numbers from the Outdoor Industry Association: in Utah, outdoor recreation generates $12 billion in consumer spending and $856 million in state and local tax revenues. The industry supports 122,000 Utah jobs, generating an additional $3.6 billion per year in wages and salaries. Outdoor recreation is a sustainable economic driver, which grew even during the Great Recession.
Our internationally coveted outdoor recreation economy is dependent on preserving our unspoiled landscapes like Greater Canyonlands. People do not come to Utah to hike or mountain bike amidst oil rigs or scarred landscapes. They live here and come to see the stunning scenery, explore pristine landscapes, and ponder undisturbed archaeological ruins.
Like my grandfather, we need to look to the future and demand actions that will continue to foster our state as a great place to live, find satisfying work, nurture families, and find spiritual inspiration. We need to understand and practice stewardship in the full sense of the word. I hope you will join me in asking President Obama to protect Greater Canyonlands as a national monument.
C.J. Whittaker is the Vice President of Product and Design at Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian social mission.
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