SUU's IIC Granted $30k to Aid Historic Preservation

Published: November 29, 2021 | Author: Carson Brown | Read Time: 2 minutes

The National Park Foundation (NPF) awarded $30,019 in federal funding to Southern Utah University’s Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC) for an Elite Trails Service Corps at Pipe Springs and Cedar Breaks National Monuments to complete various historic land preservation and stewardship projects. Student workers on this project received training and certifications in CPR, first aid, trails construction, risk management, and using chainsaws on federal land.

IIC is a partnership between SUU, various land management agencies, and Native American tribes of southern Utah, northern Arizona and eastern Nevada. Together, this partnership has developed challenging internship opportunities—such as this one—to complement student academic pursuits and help prepare them for successful careers.

Pipe Springs National Monument has served the southern region of Utah since 1923. It’s not only a time capsule into the early years of Utah’s statehood, but also a place where different cultures and ideas come together. But much like any time capsule, time had taken its toll. Mortar needed replacing and the retention ponds had gathered algae that needed removing. Dozens of IIC students came to the rescue as part of the Elite Trails Service Corps, learning techniques to help replace mortar on the structures without damaging the old stones.

Acting Superintendent of the Pipe Springs National Monument Ferman Salis uses NPF funds from the IIC enabling him to hire a diverse group of workers that represent the various local populations.

“Pipe Springs is so small, we have to make connections with everybody to come in and work with us,” said Salis. “We hired a young lady who was from the Paiute Kaibab Tribe. She is planning on going to college. She even designed our new logo—a silhouette of the fort and a traditional basket.”

Cedar Breaks National Monument has served the area since 1933, at over 10,000 feet in elevation. Visitors are invited to wander among the bristlecone pines and stand in lush wildflower meadows while enjoying the crystal clear night skies. After the Visitor Center renovation began, the park has been looking for more activities for their visitors. In addition, many visitors had been exploring past a popular trail-end overlook, causing resource damage and a safety hazard due to steep cliffs. With NPF funding from the IIC, SUU students from the Elite Trails Service Corps met the recreational and safety needs of the area by extending its most popular trail by half a mile.

Thanks to the NPF, IIC students who would have ended their public lands work earlier this year were able to stay employed longer to accomplish this great work. Many thanks go out to the exceptional partners at both the Pipe Springs and Cedar Breaks National Monuments so these T-Birds could continue their unique and meaningful on-the-job education.

For more information on other opportunities, visit SUU’s Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative.

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