Uranium mining near the Grand Canyon? It may seem hard to believe, but up until recently, the government has allowed such dangerous mining to be conducted in the sensitive Grand Canyon ecosystem, threatening the Colorado River and Grand Canyon itself with contamination.

Fortunately an end may be in sight. The Bureau of Land Management is currently considering banning new mining claims under the antiquated 1872 Mining Law in the greater Grand Canyon ecosystem. But if and how much land they protect is uncertain.

The Bureau of Land Management Solar Energy Study Areas (SESAs) are almost always quiet, with few signs of life other than windblown plants sparsely distributed across flat and largely featureless lands, and no sound except for the wind rustling brittle branches. During daylight hours, the sun beats down relentlessly. An occasional lizard is seen racing across the desert floor. Droppings from coyotes, rabbits and other small mammals are sometimes visible, and red-tailed hawks or turkey vultures circle infrequently overhead, searching the stark, sparse terrain for prey or carrion.