A message from Executive Director Ethan Aumack

BY ETHAN AUMACK

Twenty years ago I nervously walked through the front doors of the Grand Canyon Trust and offered my services. Trust staff patiently heard me out, appraised my résumé (a bachelor’s degree in biology, and a whopping two years of restoration fieldwork under my belt), and offered me a position commensurate with my experience: Volunteer. I swallowed hard and accepted the illustrious appointment. I never looked back because I had then, as I have even more so now, a deep and abiding love for this place, my home, the Colorado Plateau. The Trust remains the only place I could imagine working to effectively channel my passion for protecting the plateau.

It is truly an honor and a privilege to assume the responsibilities of executive director during such critical times. I do so knowing that we have a staff, a board of trustees, and partners who are passionate, visionary, and willing to work double shifts to get the job done. Never before has the importance of the Trust’s work been as great as it is now. We are facing a level of dysfunction and hostility toward public lands and conservation within the state houses of Arizona and Utah, and in Washington D.C., that is simply unprecedented. Without a strong and organized defense of our public lands, we stand to lose more over the next three years than we have over the last three decades. The Trust stands ready to defend the plateau — its parks, national monuments, wilderness areas, and the vast and wondrous landscapes in between — on the ground, in the halls of Congress, and, if need be, in the courts.

As vital as our defensive work is, however, the Trust has always done more than fend off losses. We strive toward a more hopeful future, one in which love for place, collaboration within and among communities, and reciprocity are all hallmarks of our existence on the Colorado Plateau. To realize this future, we continue to build conservation partnerships in Arizona, Utah, and within Native America and beyond, to restore landscapes, build sustainable economies, and celebrate the wildness and diversity of this place we cherish.

I’ve been asked too many times to count over the last year whether I feel despair in my work. My answer is always no. What I feel, and what we feel at the Grand Canyon Trust, is a sense of urgency, a sense of hope, and of confidence that those standing together in defense of and service to the Colorado Plateau will win the day. As they were 20 years ago for me, our doors are always open to you as we persevere, aspire, and move forward, together.

With gratitude,

Ethan Aumack