Recreational Aviation Foundation Funds Survey to Recognize Utah’s Backcountry Airstrips

Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) Utah liaison Wendy Lessig has been awarded a grant to help fund cultural surveys on five backcountry airstrips in the state’s Monticello region. 

The goal is to help the Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officially recognize the airstrips and add them to the BLM Monticello Travel Management Plan. An unnamed donor is also contributing to the funding of the studies, according to the RAF.

The five airstrips in question are Nokai Dome, Piute Canyon, Wee Hope Mine, Red Canyon Meadow, and Castle Creek—the first three being among the most popular in Utah. According to Lessig, all five airstrips provide immense recreational value, full of red rock views and hikes exploring the area’s landmarks. 

Through the surveys, the RAF is looking to work cooperatively with the BLM to achieve recognition and to clear up a gray area on continued use of the airstrips. The studies aim to speed up the approval process for the BLM that at times can be bogged down by a large case load. 

“Without BLM recognition and approval, these airstrips could be lost permanently,” Lessig said. “BLM archaeologists are backlogged with work, and this grant will expedite a third party to conduct the cultural surveys.” 

The Monticello Field Office surveys will utilize the same archeologist to analyze all five airstrips. A number of RAF supporters have offered to fly the archeologist group to three of the five locations, hoping to speed up the field work process and reduce the surveys’ cost. 

“Completion of the cultural surveys will be a big step toward approval of these five Monticello airstrips,” Lessig said. “Our earnest participation will further the preservation of other existing backcountry airstrips in Utah by establishing a precedent and model for other BLM offices to follow.”

Recently, the RAF partially funded similar surveys on five airstrips in Utah’s Moab region. The same archeologist that will be conducting the Monticello surveys completed the Moab as well.

The RAF is a nonprofit organization established in 2003 with the goal of identifying airstrips across the country in need of attention. That includes securing land for the development of new airstrips, establishing funds to gain official state recognition, like in Utah’s case, or providing legislators with the requisite information regarding recreational airstrips.

As of 2023, RAF is the third-largest aviation nonprofit organization.