Nine Mile Canyon
Prehistoric Art Threatened
Nine Mile Canyon is nicknamed the “world’s longest art gallery” because of its more than 10,000 individual petroglyphs and pictographs.
Nine Mile Canyon at Risk
Dust, chemicals and other particles from the heavy truck traffic is causing considerable damage to the art panels in the Canyon.
BLM Well Site at Nine Mile Canyon
A massive proposed oil and gas development project would cause irreparable damage to Nine Mile Canyon in Utah.
Act now to save Nine Mile Canyon!
Significance of Nine Mile Canyon
Nine Mile Canyon in central Utah has international, national and local significance due to its extraordinarily high concentration of prehistoric rock art, including petroglyphs and pictographs made by the Fremont and Ute Indian cultures. More than 10,000 rock art images exist in Nine Mile Canyon, and although only a small portion of the canyon has been systematically surveyed for cultural resources, at least 830 prehistoric sites have been formally recorded. It is estimated that these sites, which constitute the basis of the proposed Nine Mile Canyon Archaeological District, represent about 10 percent of the prehistoric sites located in the Canyon.
Continuing National Trust Efforts for Protecting Nine Mile Canyon
For the past several years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been working with partners to protect and preserve Nine Mile Canyon and its thousands of rock art images from the harmful effects of natural gas exploration and development. In 2004, the National Trust listed Nine Mile Canyon as one of America's Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places, due to the potential damage to the images from natural gas exploration and development. Along with the listing, the Trust implemented an outreach campaign with its members to advise the Bureau of Land Management , which manages most of the land around and within Nine Mile Canyon, of preservationists' concerns for the well-being of the famed rock art. This campaign resulted in BLM receiving thousands of e-mails from concerned citizens and National Trust members across the country.
The National Trust has consistently communicated its concerns for the damage being caused to this nationally and internationally significant prehistoric treasure in written comments and through consultation with BLM. In addition, we have provided financial assistance to the Nine Mile Canyon Coalition—an advocacy organization based in Price, Utah—to help in preparing the nomination of the Nine Mile Canyon Archeological District to the National Register of Historic Places.
New Threat
Truck traffic threatens prehistoric rock art in Nine Mile Canyon.
Credit: Earl Ivan White
Trucks traveling to and from natural gas drilling sites above Nine Mile Canyon are currently causing dust, chemical dust suppressants and vehicle exhaust to accumulate on the rock art panels which in turn is causing irreparable damage to the treasured rock art. A new proposal released by BLM in February 2008 would actually increase vehicle traffic in Nine Mile Canyon by an astonishing 416%--from the current average of 106 vehicles per day to 441. The proposed increase is part of an 800-well natural gas development project proposed by Bill Barrett Corporation (BBC) for the plateau immediately south of Nine Mile Canyon. According to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), heavy vehicle traffic associated with the project would use the dirt road along the bottom of Nine Mile Canyon and the dirt roads climbing up the principal side canyons to access the project site. Although traffic would eventually decline after a generation or two as BBC completed its drilling operations, average daily traffic levels would exceed the current level throughout the estimated 38-year life of the project. In the past, BLM and Carbon County have attempted to control dust on the Nine Mile Canyon Road by spraying it with magnesium chloride. This practice, which BLM is proposing to continue, is already causing measurable damage to the petroglyphs and pictographs in the Canyon.
BLM acknowledges that Nine Mile Canyon "is internationally significant for prehistoric archaeological resources, nationally significant for cultural and historic resources, regionally significant for its scenic value and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places." Yet BLM proposes to do nothing new to protect these valuable sites from the impacts of the project. This is a blatant disregard for BLM's mandate to protect "rare, special, sensitive or beautiful places" from destructive development, and instead suggests that BLM is attempting to serve the interests of the oil and gas industry over the interests of the public.
Proposed Resolution
Truck traffic threatens prehistoric rock art in Nine Mile Canyon.
Credit: Earl Ivan White
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is not trying to stop this project and is not opposed to oil and gas exploration and development in the region. However, we believe more must be done to protect the very significant and irreplaceable rock art in Nine Mile Canyon. We believe that the only way to prevent further irreparable damage to these internationally recognized art panels is to substantially reduce the industrial traffic in Nine Mile Canyon. Doing so would require the use of an alternative route or series of routes to access the project area on the plateau. At least three alternative routes were rejected by BLM, which refused to perform a detailed evaluation of these access routes in the draft EIS. The National Trust believes that further investigation of the technical and economic feasibility of alternative routes is needed. So that more harm does not come to these irreplaceable rock art panels, we are calling on BLM to fulfill its role as steward of what many call the "world's longest art gallery" and perform a detailed evaluation of alternative routes that trucks could use to access the project area instead of the narrow dirt roads in Nine Mile Canyon.
Further, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is strongly advocating that BLM address the issue of dust, chemicals and other particles from the heavy truck traffic in the Canyon, which is already causing considerable damage to the art panels. BBC funded a study that was the first of its kind to analyze the effects of dust, chemical dust suppressants, and vehicle exhaust on rock art in Nine Mile Canyon. The study establishes a direct link between the use of the Nine Mile Canyon road by industrial vehicles and the deteriorating condition of rock art. It confirms that magnesium chloride, the chemical used to control dust on the Canyon’s road, can be found on the petroglyphs and pictographs and is already causing damage. In light of this scientific confirmation of our worst fears, it would be irresponsible for BLM to approve the West Tavaputs drilling project under any of the alternatives described in the draft EIS. Unless alternative truck routes are developed, this significant part of our shared heritage will be seriously compromised or lost.
Resources
Comments on the Draft EIS for the West Tavaputs Project (May 1, 2008).
The National Trust's comments on the Bureau of Land Management's draft environmental impact statement for the West Tavaputs Natural Gas Field Development Plan.
The Bureau of Land Management's letter denying the National Trust's request for consulting party status under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for Bill Barrett Corporation's West Tavaputs Project.
Consulting Party Request for the West Tavaputs Project (Nov. 15, 2005)
The National Trust's letter to the Bureau of Land Management requesting consulting party status under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for Bill Barrett Corporation's West Tavaputs Project.
Scoping Comments on the West Tavaputs Plateau Project EIS (Nov. 14, 2005)
The National Trust's scoping comments concerning the environmental impact statement for Bill Barrett Corporation's West Tavaputs Project.
