BLM Utah San Juan River Science Camp Project

Background: The San Juan River Science Camp project is an ongoing annual youth camp that began in 2011. The four day outdoor education camp provides a primitive rafting and camping experience on the San Juan River that immerses up to 25 Utah students, ages twelve to eighteen, from rural San Juan County, the Navajo Nation, and the White Mesa Ute Reservation in public lands management, archaeology, astronomy, earth science, geology, and desert hydrology. An experiential outdoor education school teams with guest educators and BLM specialists to provide the camp curriculum. Objectives: The Monticello Field office is looking to provide an opportunity for lower income and disadvantaged local youth to learn about the river system, earth science, archaeology, public lands management, and leave no trace principles in an outdoor recreation setting. San Juan County is one of the most underprivileged counties in Utah. Many of the participants would be residents of the Navajo Nation and the White Mesa Ute Reservation, two of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the country. Without this project, an outdoor learning and river recreation experience like this would be cost prohibitive for many participants. Public Benefit: This project will provide environmental education and public lands management knowledge to local youth, which will help foster and inspire future generations of public land stewards. In addition, the project will help local youth understand how and why the BLM manages public lands, which may help increase community support in the area.