{"id":10127,"date":"2013-11-04T03:45:30","date_gmt":"2013-11-04T10:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=10127"},"modified":"2026-04-11T09:19:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T14:19:47","slug":"the-san-rafael-swell-blm-keep-oil-and-gas-drilling-out-and-keep-the-wilderness-intact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/04\/the-san-rafael-swell-blm-keep-oil-and-gas-drilling-out-and-keep-the-wilderness-intact\/","title":{"rendered":"The San Rafael Swell – BLM Keep Oil And Gas Drilling Out And Keep The Wilderness Intact"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Petrified

Petrified sand dune in the San Rafael Swell – The San Rafael Swell Area has been sculpted by time<\/p><\/div>\n

I am not a native Utahn but I have come to love and deeply appreciate my adopted state with all of its mountain ranges, the deserts, canyons, and the Great Salt Lake.<\/p>\n

I’m a photographer so quite often my images often tell the story better than I do. I hope these images; a tiny sampling of the splendor found within the San Rafael Swell, will help to tell this story.<\/p>\n

\"Springtime

Springtime at the San Rafael Swell Recreation Site, Emery County, Utah<\/p><\/div>\n

I have developed a great appreciation for wilderness areas such as the San Rafael Swell with its plants, wildlife, and of course birds.<\/p>\n

I’ve also find myself studying the geological features of many of the areas in Utah and the San Rafael Swell is one of Utah’s greatest geological features.<\/p>\n

The San Rafael Swell area has hoodoos, canyons, mesa tops, slot canyons, hidden valleys, jagged cliff faces, reefs, and rivers and together they all form a scenic and geological wonderland.<\/p>\n

\"Exposed

Exposed petrified sand dunes – Many of the impressive landforms in the San Rafael Swell consist of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Triassic Wingate Sandstone, and Permian Coconino Sandstone<\/p><\/div>\n

The San Rafael Swell is home to around 25 endemic plants, plants that occur no where else on this planet and are threatened or endangered.<\/p>\n

It is also home to newly discovered insect species and provides substantial habit for Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, and Mountain Lions. There may be many more undiscovered invertebrates in the Swell.<\/p>\n

By now you may be wondering why I am mentioning the endemic plants and the other threatened or endangered species.<\/p>\n

\"The

The Little Grand Canyon with the San Rafael River flowing through it from high on the Wedge, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah<\/p><\/div>\n

The BLM is set to lease out 79,000 acres of land within the San Rafael Swell area for oil and gas drilling that has the potential to cause irreversible damage to this highly sensitive arid area of Utah, to the plants, animals, insects and water.<\/p>\n

In an arid area like the San Rafael Swell every<\/em> drop of water is critical and the slightest bit of pollution could have far reaching, damaging effects to the immediate area and far downstream.<\/p>\n

\"View

View from the top of The Wedge on a clear spring day, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah<\/p><\/div>\n

The BLM currently has over 3 million acres of lands in Utah already leased for\u00a0oil and gas\u00a0development that have not been drilled.<\/p>\n

Yes, I said they have not been drilled yet they are going to auction another 79,000 acres in a highly sensitive wilderness area.<\/p>\n

To what end? More habit destruction? More roads that will affect the flow of water in the Swell?<\/p>\n

Utah depends on tourism especially in areas like the San Rafael Swell, Moab, Canyonlands and Escalante.<\/p>\n

As a tourist, why would I want to come to Utah to see oil wells? Listen to the sound of drills fracturing their way through the earth?<\/p>\n

I would want to come to see wilderness, not gas wells or oil fields. That is what I want now.<\/p>\n

\"Midget

Midget Faded Rattlesnake<\/p><\/div>\n

I wouldn’t want to camp in the San Rafael Swell and listen to the sound of huge trucks thundering down the dirt roads. As a tourist I would want to hear the birds and the wind rustling through the Sagebrush and Junipers.<\/p>\n

Areas within the San Rafael Swell are already protected and in 2002 then Governor Mike Levitt proposed the creation of\u00a0 a “San Rafael Swell National Monument” and at the time President George W. Bush ignored<\/del> never acted on Levitt’s proposal.<\/p>\n

The proposal resurfaced in 2010 and the current administration hasn’t acted on it either.<\/p>\n

\"Buckhorn

Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel – An area rich in cultural history<\/p><\/div>\n

Throughout the San Rafael Swell there is evidence of ancient Native American cultures Including the Fremont, Paiute, and Ute in the form of pictographs and petroglyphs such as the Buckhorn Draw Pictograph Panel found at Buckhorn Wash.<\/p>\n

People come from all over the world to see ancient rock art, to see a part of the past in front of them. And Utah needs tourism.<\/p>\n

\"The

The San Rafael Swell area is a unique geological treasure<\/p><\/div>\n

More environmental studies are needed before these lands in the San Rafael Swell are leased, before a well is drilled. Before it is too late to save a species from extinction.<\/p>\n

And before the land is irreversibly scarred. Some people may see the San Rafael Swell as a huge wasteland but in reality is it a vast wilderness unlike any other in this world.<\/p>\n

Isn’t it worth saving? For today and future generations?<\/p>\n

\"San

San Rafael Swell hoodoo rock formations<\/p><\/div>\n

With over 3 million acres of Utah already leased out for oil production wouldn’t it be in everyone’s best interest to fully understand the environmental impacts?<\/p>\n

Or the impacts of loss of income from tourism to the state of Utah?<\/p>\n

\"Dirt

Dirt road within the San Rafael Swell<\/p><\/div>\n

This… could be the road to disaster. Or the road to a one of a kind National Monument for Utahns, other people from North America, and from around the world.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Fighting for the environment is good too.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Midget Faded Rattlesnake photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my San Rafael Swell and Wedge photos.<\/p>\n

Sources of information on this critical issue:<\/p>\n

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Facebook page<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More environmental studies are needed before these lands in the San Rafael Swell are leased, before a well is drilled. Before it is too late to save a species from extinction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1010,1015,1011,26],"tags":[4004,5933,4880,2384,1019,4252,3430,17482,1018,519,4407,12241,4416,165,5457,102],"class_list":["post-10127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rattlesnakes","category-san-rafael-swell-area","category-the-wedge","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-bluebird","tag-bluebirds","tag-bureau-of-land-management","tag-crotalus-oreganus-concolor","tag-emery-county","tag-hoodoos","tag-little-grand-canyon","tag-midget-faded-rattlesnake","tag-nature","tag-petrified-sand-dunes","tag-rock-formations","tag-san-rafael-river","tag-spring","tag-wilderness-preservation","tag-wildlife"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/san-rafael-swell-sculpted-by-time-mia-mcpherson-2259.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-2Dl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10831,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/19\/good-news-on-the-san-rafael-swell\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":0},"title":"Good News On The San Rafael Swell","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday Juan Palma; the BLM state director, yanked most of the federal acreage within the San Rafael area that was slated to be on the auction block for oil and gas leases.","rel":"","context":"In "Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"Conservation","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"San Rafael Swell campground, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5165.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5165.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15239,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/06\/20\/san-rafael-swell-state-park-or-national-monument-designation-in-the-future\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":1},"title":"San Rafael Swell – State Park or National Monument Designation In The Future?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I also felt trepidation about the San Rafael Swell area because nothing within this state that is filled with stones is written in stone except the ancient pictographs and petroglyphs.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The San Rafael Swell, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-1616.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-1616.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-1616.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-1616.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6192,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/09\/26\/lazuli-buntings-near-the-san-rafael-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":2},"title":"Lazuli Buntings Near The San Rafael River","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I have enjoyed photographing Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) near the San Rafael River at the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area. These images were taken in the spring when the males were high on perches singing to attract females.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Morning at the San Rafael River campground, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5166.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/san-rafael-swell-mia-mcpherson-5166.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17168,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/11\/20\/the-idea-of-wilderness-needs-no-defense\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":3},"title":"The Idea Of Wilderness Needs No Defense","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This past Saturday I watched the movie \"Wrenched\" with two dear friends so it seemed only fitting to share a quote from Edward Abbey some time this week.","rel":"","context":"In "Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"Conservation","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The road to the San Rafael Swell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/san-rafael-swell-ed-abbey-mia-mcpherson-1909.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1389,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/11\/20\/utah-rocks-really\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":4},"title":"Utah Rocks – Really!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 20, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The Fremont and Barrier Canyon cultures created this rock art on the face of the rock wall at Buckhorn Wash in the San Rafael Swell area of Utah","rel":"","context":"In "Buckhorn Wash"","block_context":{"text":"Buckhorn Wash","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/buckhorn-wash\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Buckhorn Wash - The Alcove Paintings, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcove-paintings-mia-mcpherson-san-rafael-swell-pictograph-utah-1853.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcove-paintings-mia-mcpherson-san-rafael-swell-pictograph-utah-1853.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcove-paintings-mia-mcpherson-san-rafael-swell-pictograph-utah-1853.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcove-paintings-mia-mcpherson-san-rafael-swell-pictograph-utah-1853.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5134,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/06\/03\/juvenile-common-raven\/","url_meta":{"origin":10127,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile Common Raven","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This bird is easily identifiable as a juvenile Common Raven because of the short tail, the pink on the gape and the violet-blue eyes.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Common Raven juvenile back view with a head turn, San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3162.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/common-raven-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3162.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}