Rare Cactus in Emery County
Apparently it looks like Mars in Emery County, Utah, so the good folks at Disney/Pixar are filming Mars-scapes there. They key to the look? Cactus.
“The Factory Butte, and Swing Arm City sites are all located on Mancos Shale and it is this shale that makes the area suitable for the “Mars” environment.”
I mean it’s the shale that makes it look like Mars. And the cactus, too.
The primary site that John Carter Of Mars is filming on near Factory Butte is actually in the footprint of a small coal strip mine.
OK, so strip mining is a good way to turn Earth into Mars.
The Muddy Creek area, to be filmed by air,… was dotted with access roads for Uranium Development
And Uranium mining too. But what about the cactus?
In particular, three species of rare Cactus are present in surrounding areas. Pediocactus despainii, San Rafael cactus and Pediocactus winkleri, commonly known as Winkler’s cactus and Sclerocactus wrightiae, commonly known as Wrights Fishhook Cactus are very small cactus varieties that are difficult to see and therefore can be easily destroyed. These species are only indiginous to the Central and Eastern parts of Utah and are listed as Threatened or Endangered.
So did they step on the cactus? No word yet.
