Thirty-six Arizona Senators and Representatives sent a letter recently to President Obama urging him to permanently protect the Grand Canyon Watershed as a national monument. Highlighting the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of safeguarding the region, they also noted that, “Arizona has a rich history of presidents taking action to protect its natural wonders, including early on the protection of Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest by President Theodore Roosevelt”. The Grand Canyon attracts millions of visitors a year, generating hundreds of millions of dollars and is marked as one of the greatest world wonders. The protection of the Grand Canyon has allowed wildlife corridors to remain open and the serenity of the land to be preserved.
The letter highlighted the importance of the region in supplying life-giving water to seeps and springs that feed the mighty Colorado River, as well as a diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. The designation would provide crucial protections for these water sources, thousands of cultural sites, ancient forests, and corridors for game and other migratory wildlife.
Already, the Grand Canyon Watershed region generates $787 million in state and local revenues and provides 104,000 direct jobs. Studies by Headwaters Economics have found that local economies surrounding national monuments expand after a designation. Protected public lands increase opportunities for recreation; in the Grand Canyon Watershed that could range from mountain biking, hiking, hunting, camping, and horseback riding. Increased visitation and revenue will help to ensure the continued use and livelihood of the iconic region.
The Grand Canyon Watershed is made up of a diversity of habitats from semi-desert grasslands to stately ancient forests nestled between the Grand Canyon and two national monuments. The North Kaibab Plateau, at the heart of the region, supports 22 sensitive plants and animals, 300,000 acres of forests, and 125 creeks, springs, and seeps that provide millions of people across Nevada, California, Arizona, and Utah with drinking water.
The creation of a national monument would not only protect the area's natural wonders, but also safeguard cultural sites held sacred to many Native American tribes throughout the region. The tribes have an extensive history with these lands and places like Red Butte, Yellowstone Spring, and Antelope Spring remain an integral piece of cultural identity. Over 3,000 archeological sites representing 12,000 years of human history have been documented so far in the region.
As the legislators highlighted in their letter, all of these cultural, economic, and natural assets are at risk from toxic uranium mining. “Now it’s time to build on this bold action to make those protections permanent” the letter stated, referring to the temporary moratorium issued by the Obama administration in 2011on new uranium mining around Grand Canyon. The potential for uranium mining continues to threaten the water quality, wildlife, and intake habitat of the Grand Canyon watershed.
The Arizona legislators are only the latest in a growing movement calling on President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to protect Grand Canyon’s watershed as a national monument. Ann Kirkpatrick recently held a meeting for stakeholders that yielded large support and polling revealed 73% of Arizonans support a national monument designation.
photo: Red Butte, courtesy Kim Crumbo