The scenery of southern Utah, from the vast vistas of red rock to the desert forest teeming with amazing wildlife, is something entirely unique and indescribably for many. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance organization seeks to protect this natural beauty.
SUWA’s Protect Wild Utah campaign focuses on protecting Utah’s red rock wilderness and public lands. SUWA does this through donations from members and supporting both administrative and legislative efforts towards protecting wild Utah.
The non-profit organization, primarily located in Salt Lake City, is starting to push for members all across the state — even here at Southern Utah University.
SUWA plans to host a pizza party on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Sharwan Smith Student Center Theater. There will be a short video about SUWA’s mission, a discussion about getting involved and how to write emails to state representatives and senators.
“Students should be interested in preserving and protecting the beautiful landscapes that brought us here in the first place,” said outdoor recreation parks and tourism major Luke Marshall.
Marshall also works as an intern for SUWA and is pushing to get more students involved with the program by participating in school events such as the past Paint the Town Red and this upcoming pizza party.
One of the current focuses of SUWA is America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act. First introduced by then Utah Representative Wayne Owens in 1989, ARRWA looks to protect western landscapes such as Cedar Mesa, the Escalante Canyons and the Kaiparowits Plateau.
While the goal is to protect Utah lands, the most prominent opposition to SUWA’s protection plans is the fact that they want to protect the land from not only mining and timber but all mechanical and motorized recreation.
Any questions or information regarding SUWA can be found on the SUWA website.
The nature of southern Utah is unique and one of a kind. To ensure that future generations can enjoy the land and scenery, it’s crucial to raise awareness and bring conservation efforts to attention.
Story by Skyler Jones
Photo Provided by Luke Marshall and Patrick Hendry on Unsplash
