The Spectrum

The Spectrum is a digital and daily print newsroom based in southwestern Utah and is the lone remaining daily print publication between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. We are a general news organization, with an emphasis on watchdog, government and environmental issues. We cover all of Washington County’s 17 municipalities and unincorporated areas, along with smaller communities and public lands spanning 25,000 square miles across parts of Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

 

Current Position

Location: St. George, Utah

Beat: National parks

Position:

Three of the nation’s most popular national parks sit within our coverage area: Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. All three have seen explosive growth in visitation over the past decade, something park officials attribute to a combination of economic stability, increased interest in outdoor recreation and massive worldwide advertising efforts. Zion in particular has become the poster-child for overcrowding, host of winding lines as guests wait to load up onto shuttle buses to take iconic hikes like Angels Landing and The Narrows. Park officials worry about environmental impact and have floated visitor caps or an online registration system to limit the number of people able to squeeze into the park on any given day. This beat is a dream for the enterprising reporter. It involves traveling into and around these three parks, along with surrounding national monuments, conservation areas, tribal lands and the tourism-driven communities that dot the surrounding landscapes, reporting in real time on the pressures they face.

Reporter: K. Sophie Will