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Grand Staircase Escalante Partners

grant award: $158,236; year awarded: 2022

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah is home to high desert shrubland habitat that is threatened by climate-change-driven drought. Severe erosion is causing loss of sediment retention, soil moisture, vegetation cover, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity in the area. Grand Staircase Escalante Partners (GSEP) will work with project partners to construct Zuni bowls in ephemeral washes. Zuni bowls are natural rock structures similar to those used by Native peoples of the Southwest for over a thousand years to slow erosion. Following indigenous leadership on the design and installation of this indigenous technique and the biocultural significance of the target landscape make this project stand out from other Zuni bowl applications. This project will help the high desert shrubland habitat adapt to climate change through improved ecological functions and ecosystem services, such as increased soil sediment and moisture.