Grijalva Introduces Landmark Bill to Create Grand Canyon-Area National Monument to Honor Area Tribal History, Protect Watershed
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) introduced a landmark bill this morning to create a new national monument to protect the Grand Canyon watershed and honor the region’s rich Native American history and culture. The Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument Act – developed with extensive input from the Grand Canyon-Associated Tribes and enthusiastically endorsed by the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe, and the Hualapai Indian Tribe – would protect approximately 1.7 million acres of federal land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park.
A map of the proposed monument is available at http://1.usa.gov/1NaNjId.
The bill follows on President Obama’s historic 2012 decision to place a 20-year moratorium on new mining claims on 1 million acres of federal land surrounding the park. By making that moratorium permanent and expanding protection to other equally sensitive areas, Grijalva’s bill recognizes the Grand Canyon Region as the sacred, ancestral home of many Southwestern tribes whose deep historic and cultural ties to the land have still not been fully recognized by federal conservation authorities.
The region to be protected includes multiple important tribal sacred sites, ancient trails, burial sites, and myriad cultural resources that deserve recognition and lasting protection. Grijalva’s bill provides tribes with meaningful opportunities to participate in the planning and ongoing management of the national monument.
The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water to nearly 30 million people in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and other communities around the region. Passage of the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument Act will guarantee permanent protection of this highly critical watershed.
Today’s formal introduction follows Grijalva’s Oct. 9 public unveiling of the bill in Flagstaff, Ariz., joined by speakers from the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo and Hopi communities supportive of the national monument.
Press Contact
Media Contact: Adam Sarvana
(202) 225-6065 or (202) 578-6626
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