A ‘huge success’: Dixie National Forest’s Browse Guard Station gets some tender love and care

Written by Alysha Lundgren
August 25, 2022

ST. GEORGE — At the end of a rugged forest service road sits an old guard station. The paint is chipping and the nearby markers are littered with bullet holes. A sign on the door says: “Danger. Do not enter.” The windows are boarded up.

Volunteers work on the Browse Guard Station project, a collaborative effort to preserve the site, Dixie National Forest, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of the United States Forest Service, St. George News

Despite these signs of impending abandonment, the site’s future is bright.

In a Facebook post, the U.S. Forest Service labeled a recent project at the Browse Guard Station in Dixie National Forest as a “huge success” after a collaborative group began rehabilitation efforts at the historic site.

“It was invigorating to see members of the public excited and passionate about historic preservation,” the post says.

Utah’s Cultural Site Stewardship Program, under the purview of the State Historic Preservation Office, coordinated with Dixie Nation Forest personnel, including recreation staff from Pine Valley Ranger District, to bring the project to fruition, according to the post.

“These projects can deter precious time and resources away from other demands of the season,” the post says. “Their support, along with necessary supplies and expertise, was crucial in the success of this restoration.”

‘Preserve what we have left’

The giant sequoia behind the Browse Guard Station, Dixie National Forest, Utah, Aug. 23, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren

Laurel Glidden, an archaeologist and the heritage program manager for Dixie National Forest, said the project was on the group’s radar for some time and that the guard station is important to both locals and the forest service because of its history. It’s one of about six remaining out of the estimated original 30.

“So it’s really important that we preserve what we have left,” she said.

The guard station was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. But the 179-acre Mill Creek Browse Experimental Range was developed earlier in 1921 to study local vegetation, St. George News reported.

Towering over the dilapidated structure is the Pine Valley Giant Sequoia, a unique attraction tucked away at this remote site. It’s estimated to be about 80 years old, the article states.

It is commonly believed the tree was planted by University of Utah botany professor Dr. Walter Cottam in the 1930s as part of the Browse Experiment Station, according to the article.

The guard station was one of four buildings slated for decommissioning and would have been torn down, but for various reasons, it wasn’t, Glidden said.

So, Glidden and Debra McCarthy, an archaeologist with Dixie National Forest, approached the regional office requesting to work on the structure “before it deteriorates anymore.”

The group partnered with Ian Wright, the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship coordinator, who organized volunteers. Ultimately, 23 people were on site to complete the initial stage of the project, Wright said.

One of the office’s goals is to alleviate land managers’ workloads by monitoring sites and organizing volunteers, Wright said.

Volunteers work on the Browse Guard Station project, a collaborative effort to preserve the site, Dixie National Forest, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of the United States Forest Service, St. George News

“Having a good partnership between a State Historic Preservation Office and the local forest service is a big deal,” he said.

The forest service described the project as the “first step” of the site’s restoration and that the partners involved “now have the momentum and support to continue to make improvements to this important site.”

As part of the effort, volunteers and employees secured doors, installed plywood to protect entrances, capped the chimney to prevent water damage and completed minor structure repairs. They also sanded and prepared the station’s sign for painting and cleared brush, broken glass and garbage from the site.

Glidden said she was “blown away” by the experience. While she sometimes feels discouraged by behavior, such as vandalism, the project was “rejuvenating.”

“We showed up there and the volunteers were there and they were ready to go,” she said. “I was just so ecstatic to have both the amount of people and just their passion and their interest. They were so excited to be there.”

Volunteers work on the Browse Guard Station project, a collaborative effort to preserve the site, Dixie National Forest, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of the United States Forest Service, St. George News

McCarthy said the initial project was meant to shore up the building to ensure it could withstand the winter “because it has just been sitting there all these years.” Now, every time the group visits the site, they “get more excited for (their) next steps.”

“It’s one of those days that reminds us the fun parts of being an archaeologist, and we’re just excited about the future,” she said.

The forest service is interested in a more intensive rehabilitation of the site and likely will repair the guard station’s chimney, refinish its porch and work on the doors and roof, Glidden said.

Additionally, Glidden said that during a subsequent visit to the site, an expert from the preservation office identified the structure’s original paint color. So the building can be repainted in its historic green color.

Volunteers

McCarthy said the forest service is interested in continuing the project in conjunction with the stewardship program and the Passport in Time project.

This file photo taken from a drone shows the Browse Guard Station, the Sequoia and the surrounding scenery, Browse, Utah, May 12, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Mike Saemisch, St. George News

According to its website, the Passport in Time program is sponsored by the forest service and works to “preserve the nation’s past.”

“Volunteers work with professional archaeologists and historians on public lands throughout the U.S. on such diverse activities as archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts,” the webpage states.

The State Historic Preservation Office trains and organizes site stewards to monitor archaeological and cultural sites across Utah, according to the forest service’s Facebook post.

“Much of the past-due work needed on historic Forest Service buildings would not be possible without the assistance of local volunteers,” the post states. “It also creates an opportunity for agency employees to share their skills and knowledge and engage with the public. It truly gives ownership of shared historic resources.”

In this file photo, a Forest Service sign marks the Browse Guard Station just before travelers along the road reach it, Browse, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Bob Grove, St. George News

Wright said Utah is “stupid lucky” to have “such good volunteers. Once the program opens registration for volunteer opportunities, the slots are typically filled in about three days.

“One thing that I would hope that everyone would realize is that everybody can make a big difference in helping to safeguard Utah’s cultural history,” he said. “And, I mean, we’ve got stuff for every kind of person in every area in the state with any ability level, and we work really hard to find areas that they can steward and where they feel they can make a difference.”

To learn more about Utah’s Cultural Site Stewardship Program, click here. Those interested in the Browse Guard Station’s history can learn more in this St. George News article.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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