UTAH - Utah’s snowpack is the lowest on record and peaked three weeks early. The state’s peak was on March 9 at 8.4 inches, which is about half of what the state typically receives by the beginning of April. Weather forecasts suggest that snowmelt will outpace any new snow the state might receive.
“We are urging our communities and local water providers to review drought contingency plans,” Laura Haskell, drought coordinator at the Utah Division of Water Resources, said. “These plans will provide clarity and actions to assist with slowing the impacts of drought.”
Water conservation remains critical as water managers prepare to rely on existing reservoir storage to meet summer demands. Reservoir stor-
Water Update
Cont'd on A3
a curated selection of teas, refreshing cold
BRYCE - One hundred and ten years ago, ranchers Reuben C. (Ruby) and Minnie Syrett established the groundwork for what has evolved into a premier tourist destination attract
Wayne Co. Celebrates Dark Sky Week with Local Events, Apr. 13-20
by Torrey Dark Skies
Courtesy Torrey Dark Skies
Torrey Mayor Mickey Wright and Town Councilperson Renée Reel visit Torrey's new Solar System Trail. Wayne County residents and visitors are invited to participate in local events sponsored by Torrey Dark Skies, Bicknell Historic Theater, and Etta Place Cider during International Dark Sky Week from April 13 through 20.
WAYNE CO. - For the sixth year in a row, Governor Spencer Cox has declared April Dark Sky Month, a statewide celebration of Utah’s world-renowned night skies. Utah is home to the darkest skies on Earth and currently leads the world in dark sky preservation with twenty-eight accredited Dark Sky In-
by Jaynie Connor
ing visitors from around the world. Their descendants expanded their modest lodge from those early days into “Ruby’s Inn,” a resort that now boasts three hotels, the largest RV park
UOT
Celebrates Dark Sky Month with Giveaway
UTAH - For the 6th year in a row, Governor Spencer Cox has declared April Dark Sky Month, a statewide celebration of Utah’s world-renowned night skies. Utah is home to the darkest skies on Earth and currently leads the world in dark sky preservation with twenty-eight accredited DarkSky International Places.
This year’s celebration also marks the recent designations of Snow Canyon State Park as an International Dark Sky Park and Bluff as an International Dark Sky Community, expanding Utah’s network of protected night skies and
and campground in the region, three restaurants, a spacious general store, various shops, and a variety of activities to cater to guests of Bryce Canyon National Park. In addition to its many amenities, Ruby's is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest addition, Tourist Rest Coffee.
GARFIELD CO.The Garfield County Commission opened their March 23 meeting with updates on Commissioners’ activities: Commissioner David Tebbs said he’d received positive updates on a Forest Service agreement to complete trail maintenance in the Stump Springs area in time for May 3-9 Mule Days. His follow-up on availability of Medicare Advantage plans was not as positive. He said, “I’d thought this just affected seniors, but we have [younger] people on disability that this is affecting...It’s created quite a mess and hopefully they'll keep working on that.” Finally, he reported an issue with an East Fork Irrigation Company pipeline that cuts across a lower segment of Bryce
If you are planning to take your
this spring and summer, please make sure your
any wildlife.
SALT LAKE CITYWith warmer temperatures on the horizon, many Utahns may start heading outside more frequently for outdoor recreation. However, if you are planning to
take your dog on any hikes, trail runs or camping trips this spring and summer, please make sure your pet doesn’t chase or harass any wildlife. Utah big game ani
mals often struggle to find food during the winter. By early spring, many of these wildlife species are vulner
Tourist Rest Cont'd
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Utah's Cougar Management Practices Are Ill-Conceived
It’s astounding that in the year 2026 man continues to experiment with nature’s natural balance.
The latest example is the State of Utah’s policies and practices towards one of our most valued apex predators: the mountain lion.
Over recent years the State has passed legislation and implemented practices to aggressively reduce our cougar populations. These decisions have been made with no opportunity for public review and comment. Yet a large swath of stakeholders - from biologists to hunters, houndsmen, conservationists and the general public - are deeply concerned about the ripple effects of removing such a critical apex predator.
The primary problem
Utah
is Utah’s declining mule deer population. The State has set a target population of over 400,000 mule deer to support our lucrative hunting industry. Yet it’s been decades since Utah has seen such mule deer numbers. In an attempt to achieve this target, the State has essentially removed most restrictions on cougar hunting because their primary food source is mule deer.
HB125 (2020) and HB469 (2023) have created the following open season on cougars; a year round hunting season that requires only a general hunting license, no kill limits, and the use of traps and snares. Taking this one step further, in December of 2025 Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) entered an agreement with BYU to “study”
Delegation
SO. UTAH - Utah conservation groups are lining up to oppose a move by the state's congressional delegation which would jeopardize the national monument status of Grand Staircase-Escalante.
Trump administration allies cited a recent report from the Government Accountability Office and have introduced a resolution to overturn the Bidenera Resource Management Plan for the 1.9-millionacre preserve.
Steve Bloch, legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, called removing Grand Staircase-Escalante from Bureau of Land Management oversight "a very bad idea."
"If the plan is undone through the Congressional Review Act, it's not clear what plan would replace it," Bloch pointed out. "That's a big part of the concern I think you'll hear from folks is that the plan provides that certainty for land management."
the effects on deer populations with focused removal of cougars from 6 management units, 4 of which are in southern Utah.
These non-scientific predator management methods raise a vast array of concerns beyond simply depleting a native noninvasive species, including public and pet safety, an increase in mule deer Chronic Wasting Disease, greater stress on the deer’s shrinking ranges, and an increase in livestock and pet predation, just to name a few.
Time and again man’s attempts to alter the natural balance of things has proven to be an obvious mistake. It’s played out with other apex predators such as the wolves and grizzlies. And in other areas, like fire in our national forests, we now know the
ramifications of trying to manipulate nature’s rules. The State’s actions risk long-term deer herd stability for short term financial gains, at a great expense of Utah’s mountain lions.
A growing number of organizations and community members are banding together to persuade the State to take a more scientific and balanced approach to predator management.
Utah Mountain Lion Conservation offers detailed information on the issue and what we can do as concerned stakeholders to change the State’s alarming cougar management practices. Cougars are a cornerstone of Utah’s natural assets. They help maintain what we value the most about our wonderfully wild state.
Paul Garvey, Kanab
Seeks to Revoke Grand Staircase Monument Status
by Mark Richardson | Utah News Connection
A Congressional Review Act resolution filed by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would revoke the management plan for the monument, which currently provides for recreational access, protection of cultural sites, safeguards for wildlife habitat, restrictions on off-road vehicles in sensitive areas and more. Congress has not yet voted on the resolution.
Autumn Gillard, coordinator of the Grand Staircase Intertribal Coalition,
said the monument is sacred to tribal nations as an ancestral homeland. She noted the move bypasses tribal consultation and would remove protections for some of the area's unique resources.
"With this imposement of the CRA, it would leave many cultural resources and environmental resources open for harm," Gillard stressed. "When management frameworks are dismantled, it affects cultural survival and spiritual con-
tinuity for Indigenous people."
Other groups opposing the move include the National Parks Conservation Association, the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation and others. It is the latest move in a longstanding battle over the monument, which was reduced in size during President Donald Trump's first term in 2017 before being restored by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Garfield County Democratic Party Convention to Take Place Apr. 4
GARFIELD CO.The Garfield County Democratic Party will hold its county convention on Saturday, April 4, from 1-2 p.m. in the Boulder Community Center, 351 North 100 East.
Zoom connection will be available. Contact Jade Velazquez, jade@utdem. org, for connection information.
—Garfield County Democratic Party
Adobe Stock
Metate Arch at Devil's Garden, at sunset, is a major landmark within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.
