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- By Native News Online Staff
In a letter on Tuesday, May 30, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs urged President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to designate the tribally proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.
Arizona is known as “The Grand Canyon State,” and the use of the Antiquities Act — established in 1906 to preserve archeological and historical sites on public lands — would safeguard the canyon’s watershed, continue to support strong economic growth in communities across the state, and preserve important cultural land.
Hobbes support comes after Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) visited the Grand Canyon on May 20 to meet with the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition about the proposed monument.
The Grand Canyon region is a significant contributor to the state's economy. According to a recent National Parks Service report, in 2021 4.5 million people visited the National Park and spent an estimated $710 million in park gateway regions alone, which has supported over 9,300 jobs.
“The Grand Canyon region is known as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but known for much more in the state of Arizona,” Hobbs said in her statement. “It’s a culturally sacred place, stewarded by Indigenous Peoples for centuries. Today, I add my voice to those asking President Biden to use the Antiquities Act authority to safeguard this irreplaceable landscape.”
As well, Hobbs wrote that the Arizona Game and Fish Department will retain its existing authority related to the management, control, and regulation of fish and wildlife in the area “so that this authority is clearly delineated prior to the years-long formation of a monument management plan."
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