A preliminary assessment of paleontological resources within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah (C-96)

By: D. D. Gillette and M. C. Hayden The purpose of this report is to provide a preliminary inventory of the paleontological resources within the newly created Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for two principal reasons. First, in establishing the monument, President Clinton proclaimed the opportunities for scientific study, expounding at length on the paleontological resources and sites. He directed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to develop a management plan for the monument within three years. Information on the location, extent, and importance of paleontological resources needs to be available to the monument planners, to paleontologists and other scientists, and to the interested public to help determine how these resources will be incorporated into the management plan. Will scientists be allowed to excavate specimens or sites? Can a sample be removed for additional study or curation? Are there sites that should be exposed in place and protected for public appreci