A Preliminary Inventory of Paleontological Resources Within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Book excerpt: The purpose of this report is to provide a preliminary inventory of the paleontological resources within the newly created Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for two principal reasons. First, in establishing the monument, President Clinton proclaimed the opportunities for scientific study, expounding at length on the paleontological resources and sites. He directed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to develop a management plan for the monument within three years. Information on the location, extent, and importance of paleontological resources needs to be available to the monument planners, to paleontologists and other scientists, and to the interested public to help determine how these resources will be incorporated into the management plan. Will scientists be allowed to excavate specimens or sites? Can a sample be removed for additional study or curation? Are there sites that should be exposed in place and protected for public appreciation? These and many other questions will have to be answered in the management plan. The more information that can be provided to the BLM, the better they should be able to anticipate the location and size of potential impacts from scientific research.