The Sierra Club and Our National Parks

Arches National Park, Utah

Landscape Arch, Arches National Park

Arches National Park, with over 75,000 acres of protected area, is a jewel of our national parks system. With Landscape Arch, and over 2000 other naturally formed arches, Bald Eagle, Spotted Owl, Southwester Willow Flycatcher, and large, rare array of flora, Arches is a haven for many species and an area that must be protected as part of our natural heritage for future generations. But Arches is in trouble, Bush Administration policies aimed to industrialize the park's surroundings.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) attempted to lease parcels nearly adjacent to the park-and in other sensitive areas in Utah-for oil and gas exploration. The Bush Administration also attempted to fast-track utility corridors to allow mostly coal-powered electricity to be funneled across public lands to markets in major cities. One of these corridors would run along the southwest boundary of Arches. We must take action now before it is too late.

Over the years, the Sierra Club has played a major role in protecting Arches and making sure that we preserve it for future generations. The Sierra Club staff and volunteers were active in every step of the negotiation of the Washington County Public Lands Bill that was rolled into the Omnibus Public Land Package signed by President Obama on March 30, 2009. In addition to designating most of the land within Zion National Park as wilderness, it also protected 132,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Washington County, including thousands of acres in units contiguous to the park.

The Sierra Club and its allies in the Utah Wilderness Coalition advocate the protection of more than 300,000 acres of BLM lands in Washington County, but the omnibus bill was a good first step. Find out more about the lands protected on the Utah Chapter website.

Trails To Enjoy In This Park

Delicate Arch

Devils Garden to Dark Angel

GPS Coordinates

38°41'0"N 109°34'0"W