A Letter from Board Chair Jim Enote

BY JIM ENOTE

Welcome, friends. I am profoundly honored to serve as the new chair of the board of the Grand Canyon Trust. My sincerest appreciation goes out to Steve Martin, our previous board chair, for his leadership in helping to place the Trust in a healthy financial and organizationally competent place. We have a well-provisioned ship, and the crew is serious and capable.

Against the backdrop of a challenging year for humankind, we bid farewell to a tumultuous 2020 and enter 2021 energized with a rotation of seasons, a rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, and a meaningful change in the White House and the Department of the Interior. Indeed, I believe the sails are shifting toward a bright horizon.

In this issue of the Advocate, Grand Canyon Trust staff, trustees, and fellow proponents illuminate several topics critical to the Colorado Plateau. These include the Biden-Harris administration and what it means for the Trust, Native American perspectives and areas of focus, and the history and outlook for public lands. In these pages you’ll hear from Rep. Raúl Grijalva on the Grand Canyon Protection Act, Superintendent Ed Keable on Grand Canyon National Park, as well as updates on restoration at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and a tribute to our friend and colleague Roger Clark. 

With the wind at our backs, we are ready to meet the plateau’s complex environmental, social, and economic realities head-on. Halting uranium mining around the Grand Canyon, seeking carbon neutrality, and assuring safe and clean water for all dependent life-forms are just a few important goals we aim to accomplish. 

Additionally, the closing of the Navajo Generating Station emphasizes the need for sustainable, well-paying green jobs for tribal nations throughout the plateau to replace ill-planned developments. We cannot approach these resolutions in isolation, and we will not overlook the reality of economic geography, tribal sovereignty, and complicated political authorities and jurisdictions. With our first-rate staff, the Trust is in an excellent position to carry out forward-thinking partnerships and enterprising conservation.

A critical part of our work is to create a more informed citizenry. With this Advocate in hand, I hope you will feel more enlightened and inspired to continue standing with the Grand Canyon Trust.

Sincerely,

Jim Enote
Chair, Grand Canyon Trust Board of Trustees