UCSS on the ground: Making a difference during the government shutdown

UCSS helped protect sites and educate visitors during the government shutdown in southern Utah.
Published: October 29, 2025

At midnight on Oct. 1, the federal government shut down. By 7 a.m., Utah’s Public Archaeology program had already leapt into action, bringing to bear more than 460 passionate and dedicated volunteers. 

As many of our federal partners became unable to carry out their usual work, the Utah Public Archaeology program implemented plans to mobilize volunteers and staff in support of our federal partners and to ensure that Utah’s cultural resources stay protected through the shutdown. This is part of a coordinated effort between the State Historic Preservation Office and dozens of other state and nonprofit organizations, all of whom are working together to keep Utah’s cultural and natural resources accessible to the public and protected during this time.

Utah Cultural Site Stewardship (UCSS) volunteers have gone above and beyond over the last several weeks; they have maintained a presence at many priority federal sites across nearly a dozen counties throughout Utah. Volunteers not only monitor these sites for any negative impacts, but also welcome visitors and ensure that they know the value Utahns place on cultural resources. Visitors also learn that these resources are being actively cared for and how best to visit them.

Person in orange shirt climbs on red rocks with desert landscape and blue sky in the background.
Photos: UCSS stewards out at at sites during the shutdown.
Two people stand outdoors near ancient stone ruins in a rocky, desert landscape under clear skies.

Almost 115 stewards have donated:

  •  935 hours 
  •  Nearly 22,000 miles of travel on their own personal time.

Stewards have spent many days in the field interacting with hundreds of visitors, generating 250+ monitoring reports, and even adding an additional 45 new recruits to the UCSS waiting list. Efforts have focused on public sites that are heavily visited, such as those in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons (Salt Lake County), Buckhorn Wash (Emery County), Dinosaur National Monument (Uintah County), Nine Mile Canyon (Carbon/Duchesne Counties), Golden Spike National Historical Park (Box Elder County), Hovenweep National Monument (San Juan County) and dozens more. 

The Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO) has provided additional funding to support volunteers. Specifically, their funds have enabled us to offer limited food per-diems as a token of appreciation for those who have donated entire weekends monitoring sites and being present at priority locations.

The dedication and efforts being made by the volunteers is receiving local and national recognition for citizens taking action. Below are some recent stories spotlighted in the media:

A government shutdown is never an easy event to manage. With the donation of volunteers’ own time and resources, Utah’s Cultural Site Stewardship Program has been able to offer unprecedented support to our federal partners. Thank you to every steward who has jumped in to help. This is one of the main reasons this program exists: to provide support and protection for cultural resources, all of which is needed now. 
If you are a federal partner in need of support, a member of the public interested in helping out, or want more information, please reach out to Utah Public Archaeologist Ian Wright at [email protected] or Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program Coordinator, Lexi Little at [email protected].

Five people holding posters stand by a table and Protect banner in a desert landscape.
Photo: Site stewards and Engagement Specialist Rachel Blumhardt making some awesome art and engaging with the public in the San Rafael Swell.