PHOTO/VIDEO: Paul Garvey
A four-day, 37-mile vigil brought community members together to mourn mountain lions killed under Utah’s predator-removal policies, and envision a different future for wildlife on Boulder Mountain.
On August 11, community members gathered in Boulder, Utah, to begin a 37-mile journey to Torrey.
Over four days, more than two dozen people participated in or supported a vigil walk and ceremony mourning mountain lions killed under Utah’s predator-removal policies and reflecting on the health and future of Boulder Mountain. Some traveled from as far as the Salt Lake Valley and southern Uintas to take part.
The route followed U.S. Highway 12, one of Utah’s scenic byways, through high-desert pinyon pine and juniper forests, into Dixie National Forest, and eventually down toward the red-rock landscape surrounding Torrey. Three camps along the route gave participants places to gather as they made their way along the eastern side of Boulder Mountain.
Walking, Mourning and Bearing Witness
The event was independently organized and led by the Boulder-based Cougar Wildlands Initiative, created by longtime Boulder resident Constance Lynn.
Participants walked together in silence, bearing witness to the loss of mountain lions in the region and reflecting on the ecological and cultural importance of animals that have inhabited these landscapes for millennia.
“This walk is an opportunity to come together to mourn the loss of mountain lions and to envision a future where they flourish in the wildlands that have been their home for millions of years,” Lynn said. “We want to honor the mountain lions who have been killed, bear witness to what is happening, and remind people that coexistence with mountain lions is possible.”
A Landscape at the Center of a Larger Debate
The gathering took place amid growing community concern about WRI-7707, Utah’s state-funded Predator Management Study, which includes the removal of mountain lions in study areas that encompass the Boulder Mountain region.
For participants, the walk offered an opportunity not only to mourn individual animals but also to consider larger questions about how wildlife is managed and what role communities should have in shaping those decisions.
An unexpected moment along the route brought those questions into even sharper focus.
Near Pleasant Creek Campground, participants encountered a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources project treating the creek with rotenone as part of a native trout restoration effort. The vividly colored water created a striking and emotional scene for walkers already reflecting on human intervention in wildlife and ecosystems.
Supporting Community-Led Conservation
The Mountain Lion Foundation did not organize the vigil. Instead, MLF supported the Cougar Wildlands Initiative with printing, outreach and logistical assistance.
That role reflects an important part of our work in Utah: helping local communities build their own voices and participate meaningfully in decisions affecting mountain lions and the landscapes they share.
Through Utah Wild, MLF is working alongside Utahns to advocate for wildlife management grounded in science, transparency, ethical decision-making and respect for the ecological role of mountain lions.
The Boulder Mountain vigil was one expression of something much larger: people coming together because they care deeply about their landscape and want a voice in its future.
The lion shapes the land. Together, we can help shape its future.
