Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service hear from hundreds on the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
Proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona
Andrew Orr
BLM hears from impacted communities as it considers a new national monument in Arizona
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA - The Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service hosted a public listening session on the Tribally-proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, where hundreds of advocates gathered to discuss the roughly one-million-acre proposed monument in Northern Arizona.
"Arizonans showed up today to voice their support for a National Monument around Grand Canyon. We witnessed the historic and cultural importance of the area to Tribes that have deep connections to place. We heard speaker after speaker--local business leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen and women, river runners--talk about how they value and cherish these lands and want to see permanent protection. We're grateful to the Biden Administration for coming to Arizona to learn these things first-hand and we look forward to celebrating the creation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’txah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument", said Mike Quigley, Arizona State Director of The Wilderness Society, who attended the meeting.
The proposal would protect public lands adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park that drain into the Colorado River which provides life-giving water for 40 million people. It would safeguard significant cultural and historical sites, uphold traditional uses and access for the 12 Tribes that maintain deep connections to the landscape, and prevent new mining claims from being issued.
This listening session comes on the heels of a visit from Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haalaand, where she met with leaders of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition to hear about their proposal. That was also the first-ever visit of a sitting Interior Secretary to the Havasupai Tribe's lands.
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Contacts:
Mike Quigley, Arizona State Director, Mike_Quigley@tws.org, (520) 334-8741
Gaby Diaz, Communications Manager, Gaby_Diaz@tws.org, (720) 464-1941
