RAF AWARDS GRANT FOR MONTICELLO, UTAH AREA AIRSTRIP CULTURAL STUDY

RAF Liaison Wendy Lessig continues her efforts to preserve scenic Utah airstrips on BLM land. She was just awarded an RAF grant to help fund five cultural surveys in the Monticello region through the BLM Monticello Field Office in Utah’s San Juan County. “The purpose of these cultural surveys is to help the BLM in their required review process to officially recognize these airstrips and to add them to the BLM Monticello Travel Management Plan,” Lessig said. A generous donor is also contributing to the cost of the surveys.

Three of the five affected airstrips are among the most popular and visited backcountry airstrips in Utah – Nokai Dome, Piute Canyon, and Wee Hope Mine. The other two are less well-known – Red Canyon Meadow and Castle Creek, Lessig explains, but are equally valuable recreation assets. “All five Monticello airstrips offer stunning red rock panoramic views, with incredible hikes to explore mining camp ruins, dinosaur tracks, a tin can tree, canyoneering, a nearby arch, and more,” Lessig said. “There are also mountain biking opportunities, as well as primitive camping under the vast Milky Way at night.”

The RAF is working cooperatively with the BLM toward official recognition of these airstrips to clear up a gray area on the airstrips’ continued use. “Without BLM recognition and approval, these airstrips could be lost permanently,” Lessig said, adding, “BLM archaeologists are backlogged with work, and this grant will expedite a third party to conduct the cultural surveys.”

Recently, the RAF partially funded cultural surveys on five Moab area airstrips, along with support from a generous donor. The same archaeologist who is conducting those surveys is handling the Monticello surveys as well.

Several RAF supporters have volunteered to fly the archaeologist to at least three of the airstrips. This will further reduce the time needed for the archaeologist to complete the cultural survey field work, and will help reduce the cost of the cultural survey.

“Completion of the cultural surveys will be a big step toward approval of these five Monticello airstrips. Our earnest participation will further the preservation of other existing backcountry airstrips in Utah by establishing a precedent and model for other BLM offices to follow,” Lessig added.

Submitted September 15, 2025

Featured image of Nokai Dome Airstrip by Craig Gustafson

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