US sued over plan to blast Utah canyon inscribed by 19th century 'Buffalo Soldiers,' European pioneers
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Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management challenging plans to realign, widen, and pave Gate Canyon in Utah. The infrastructure project involves explosive blasting through canyon walls that hold irreplaceable historical inscriptions and rock art left behind by 19th-century Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, European pioneers, and ancient indigenous peoples. Conservationists argue that transforming the quiet backcountry transport corridor into an industrial oil tanker highway will irreparably destroy invaluable cultural heritage and threaten wildlife habitats, including the endangered Mexican spotted owl. The federal agencies face intense legal scrutiny over the environmental and historical degradation posed by the road construction.
Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management challenging plans to realign, widen, and pave Gate Canyon in Utah. The infrastructure project involves explosive blasting through canyon walls that hold irreplaceable historical inscriptions and rock art left behind by 19th-century Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, European pioneers, and ancient indigenous peoples. Conservationists argue that transforming the quiet backcountry transport corridor into an industrial oil tanker highway will irreparably destroy invaluable cultural heritage and threaten wildlife habitats, including the endangered Mexican spotted owl. The federal agencies face intense legal scrutiny over the environmental and historical degradation posed by the road construction.
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