Arizona Strip District
March 2013 Brown Bag Schedule
March 1: "Arizona Archeology Month Celebration." BLM Tribal Liaison Gloria Benson and archeologist Diana Hawks will share insightful and educational information about regional archaeological sites that’s sure to help attendees heighten their appreciation for and understanding of them. Come find out why current residents of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are so fortunate to be surrounded by such visible and accessible evidence of the regions’ past residents. For those who may wonder if they are missing part of the cultural stories, perspectives, and history associated with these fascinating and respected sites, this presentation by Benson and Hawks will unveil more of the stories “behind the scenes” with several local and regional American Indian sites.
March 8: “Our Night Skies.” Join astronomer Mike Satter for a primer on backyard astronomy covering constellations, planets, stars, galaxies, star clusters and the occasional space rock. Learn how distances are measured and gain an appreciation of how miniscule our solar system really is. Satter’s information leaves participates wishing they could be left in the dark—just to see more of what Satter illuminates about our solar system.
March 15: “Grand Staircase-Escalante Paleontology.” The State of Utah and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are proving to be fertile ground for a vast array of exciting paleontological discoveries. If you’ve ever heard Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument’s lead paleontologist Alan Titus speak, you’ll know he’s like a kid in a candy store when it comes to dinosaur discoveries. Titus’ enthusiasm for ‘dem bones’ is absolutely contagious. Come learn more about some of the most recent discoveries that are being made right here in your own backyard.
March 22: “Ancient Quicksand Features of the Navajo Sandstone.” If you’ve ever “oh’ed” and “awed” about the regions’ breathtaking, colorful, undulating sandstones like those found at the Wave in the Paria Wilderness Dixie State University geologist Jerry Bryant will be here to answer all your burning questions about the how and the why in the formation of these natural features that take our breath away. Come learn about how quicksand and earthquakes and the formative process known as liquefaction contributed to the creation of these aesthetically delightful features of the early Jurassic period.
March 29: To be announced ….
The noontime lecture series is sponsored by the Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. and are hosted at the Interagency Information Center 345 E. Riverside Drive in St. George, Utah. For more information about advanced TICKET RESERVATIONS call the Interagency Visitor Center at 435-688-3200.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.