Canyonlands Natural History Association
“Enhance visitor understanding and appreciation of public lands in southeast Utah.”
59 years on the ground, 85 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Cooperating association serving Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, and Hovenweep. Operates bookstores and funds education and interpretive programs.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “CNHA supports the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, usda Forest Service, and various other partnerships through sales of interpretive materials.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Npsinterpretation, Education
$1.7M, 33% of spendingAnd visitor services (ievs): funding for free publications, jr ranger materials, general interpretation supplies, canyon youth engagement education program, intern and volunteer support, and onboarding many seasonal…
Including $1,150,551 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
NPSINTERPRETATION, EDUCATION AND VISITOR SERVICES (IEVS): FUNDING FOR FREE PUBLICATIONS, JR RANGER MATERIALS, GENERAL INTERPRETATION SUPPLIES, CANYON YOUTH ENGAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM, INTERN AND VOLUNTEER SUPPORT, AND ONBOARDING MANY SEASONAL PARK RANGER POSITIONS FOR THE SOUTHEAST UTAH GROUP PARKS, INCLUDING HOUSING SUPPORT FOR INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS.RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP STRATEGY: SCIENCE IS A LARGE AREA OF SUPPORT FROM CNHA TO THE NPS SPANNING A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS. FUNDS WERE USED FOR GAME CAMERAS FOR WILDLIFE MONITORING, AND THE PURCHASE OF A WEATHER STATION FOR LONG TERM VEGETATION MONITORING. ALSO INCLUDED WERE MONITORING FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND WATER QUALITY, ACOUSTIC MONITORING FOR MEXICAN SPOTTED OWLS, INVASIVE PLANT SURVEYS, AND GPS COLLARS FOR BIGHORN SHEEP STUDIES. AS WITH IEVS, CNHA PROVIDED FUNDING FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND NATURAL RESOURCE INTERN POSITIONS ALONG WITH HOUSING SUPPORT FOR THE INTERNS. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SUPPORT FOR NIGHT SKY PROGRAMS INCLUDING A NIGHT SKY RANGER POSITION FOR CANYONLANDS, THE PURCHASE OF A SMART TELESCOPE AND TABLET, AND CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR THE ANNUAL ASTRO FEST.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Sales and Other Partnerships
$1.6M, 32% of spendingAnd outreach
Read it as they filed it
SALES AND OTHER PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Usfsthe largest area of support for the Forest Service came
$588K, 12% of spendingUsfsthe largest area of support for the Forest Service came in the way of housing. CNHA began the process of purchasing 4 tiny homes for the manti la sal National Forest to be used for employee housing.
Including $462,830 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
USFSTHE LARGEST AREA OF SUPPORT FOR THE FOREST SERVICE CAME IN THE WAY OF HOUSING. CNHA BEGAN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING 4 TINY HOMES FOR THE MANTI LA SAL NATIONAL FOREST TO BE USED FOR EMPLOYEE HOUSING. WE PUT DOWN A DEPOSIT FOR ALL FOUR HOUSES. ONE HOUSE WAS COMPLETED AND INSTALLED IN 2025, AND WE MADE PAYMENTS ON FRAMING HOUSES NUMBER 2 & 3. WORK ON THE THREE REMAINING TINY HOMES WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2026.CNHA SUPPORTED THE FOREST SERVICE BY PROVIDING INTERNS FROM UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY TO BACKFILL STAFFING SHORTAGES. INTERNS ASSISTED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF WORK ACROSS NUMEROUS PROGRAMS WITH MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES INCLUDING RECREATION TRAIL CREWS, WILDLIFE AND BOTANY, CULTURAL RESOURCE MONITORING, AND RANGE MANAGEMENT CONDUCTING VEGETATION SURVEYS, SPRING RESTORATION PROJECTS, AND MONITORING RANGE CONDITIONS.TRAILHEAD IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. THE DRY WASH ALCOVE TRAIL AND TRAILHEAD WAS RECENTLY CREATED TO PROVIDE AN EASILY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL WITHIN THE BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. THIS TRAILHEAD AND SITE IS THE ONLY FRONT COUNTRY CULTURAL RESOURCE ON USFS LANDS WITHIN BENM AND IS THE PRIMARY LOCATION THE USFS DIRECTS USERS SEEKING A MORE FRONT COUNTRY AND ACCESSIBLE EXPERIENCE IN BENM.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Blmmajor support in 2025 for improving campground
$422K, 8% of spendingAnd trail accessibility for all user groups. We brought out folks from dovetail consulting to assess multiple campgrounds and mountain bike trails to see where improvements could be made.
Including $294,144 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
BLMMAJOR SUPPORT IN 2025 FOR IMPROVING CAMPGROUND AND TRAIL ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL USER GROUPS. WE BROUGHT OUT FOLKS FROM DOVETAIL CONSULTING TO ASSESS MULTIPLE CAMPGROUNDS AND MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS TO SEE WHERE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE. WE THEN HIRED AND SCA INTERN TO WORK WITH THE BLM TO MEASURE SLOPE, GRADIENT AND OBSTACLES FOR OVER 100 MILES OF TRAILS. THIS WORK WILL PROVIDE BETTER INFORMATION FOR SIGNAGE AT TRAILHEADS AND AN INTERACTIVE MAP FOR WEBSITES SO THAT USERS CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ON WHETHER THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO NAVIGATE CERTAIN TRAILS. CNHA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE BLM IN THEIR OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES FUNDING A NATURAL RESOURCES FIELD DAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, A JUNIOR RANGER DAY, AND INTERNSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. EVERY YEAR WE FUND OUTREACH MATERIALS AND SIGNAGE FOR THE BLM. 2025 INCLUDED INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE FOR THE POSEY HISTORICAL MARKER SITE, ROUTE SIGNS FOR TRAILHEADS AND ROADS, POWDER COATING OF SIGN PEDESTALS THAT WERE DONATED TO THE BLM FROM THE PARK SERVICE, THE PRINTING OF THE AREA BLM NEWSPAPER AND CEDAR MESA TRIP PLANNER.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
85 cents of every dollar goes to the work
A good sign, not a scorecard: what matters is the extremes, and this is nowhere near one.
$4,264,922 programs, $727,079 management, $3,506 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at CNHA? Claim this page.
The filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,907,142 |
| 2012 | $1,950,705 |
| 2013 | $1,996,085 |
| 2014 | $2,314,861 |
| 2015 | $2,514,288 |
| 2016 | $3,142,958 |
| 2017 | $3,399,386 |
| 2018 | $3,907,188 |
| 2019 | $4,201,703 |
| 2020 | $3,603,099 |
| 2021 | $6,320,150 |
| 2022 | $5,965,725 |
| 2023 | $5,905,477 |
| 2025 | $7,516,714 |
From $1.9M in 2011 to $7.5M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024). FY25 is the highest year on file.
Their ground
CNHA is not on our editors’ record for a threatened place yet. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
The Utah congressional delegation averages 3 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
Stand with CNHA
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.