Vascular flora of Red Butte Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah

Red Butte Canyon, just east of Salt Lake City, Utah, has been closed to the general public and to grazing for nearly 70 years in order to protect the drainage basin from which the military post at Fort Douglas obtained its water supply. On May 1, 1969, jurisdiction for the Canyon passed from the U. S. Army to the U. S. Forest Service. On the same date, a public closure was enacted by the Forest Service to continue the protection begun by the military. Prior to the actual shift of juris diction, the Forest Service issued a report proposing that Red Butte Canyori be declared a Research Natural Area.