Preserving the past, planning the future: Lessons from the grand staircase-Escalante national monument land management plans

Abstract

honors thesisCollege of Architecture + PlanningCity & Metropolitan PlanningKeith BartholomewFew places capture the geological, cultural, and political complexity of the American West like the desert landscape of southern Utah. Modern conflicts over Utah\u27s public lands highlight the struggle to balance resource development with conservation priorities. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), designated under the Antiquities Act in 1996, exemplifies these tensions. As the first National Monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), GSENM created a new model for National Monuments through the use of dedicated land and resource management plans. This paper provides context to the historical, geological, legal, and indigenous importance of GSENM. Three management plans, created under different presidential administrations from 2000 to 2025, are analyzed and compared to assess their structure, historical context, and stakeholder engagement, with a specific focus on the inclusion of indigenous knowledge and leadership. Drawing on various ecologically-based frameworks, this paper argues that adaptive and flexible land management planning should be informed by a moral responsibility for land preservation, existing urban planning, Indigenous knowledge, and legal protection. These values must be actively incorporated in future GSENM management in order to withstand evolving political and cultural shifts. Ultimately, this thesis calls for continued development of land management tools that support sustainable stewardship, indigenous voices, and public input on the future of our public lands