Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Coming soon: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
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Monday, August 7, 2023
View of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim. NPS Photo by Michael Quinn, Flickr ([link removed])
President Joe Biden is considering using his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate more than 1 million acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park as the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument on Tuesday while he is in Arizona ([link removed]) . A national monument designation would safeguard underground aquifers and critical drinking water supplies for nearby communities from the threat of uranium mining, while also protecting the natural, recreational, and scientific resources of the region.
The monument is being proposed by a large group of Tribes called the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, which includes members of the Havasupai, Hopi, and Hualapai Tribes, as well as the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Band of Paiute, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the Navajo Nation, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Listen to the latest episode of The Landscape podcast ([link removed]) to hear the Center for Western Priorities' conversation with Carletta Tilousi, a former tribal councilwoman who has helped lead the effort to establish the monument, and Stuart Chavez, a former tribal councilman who serves on the Havasupai Anti-Uranium Subcommittee, as they talk about their involvement in the fight for the monument and how it would help protect their homeland.
Support for President Joe Biden designating a new national monument around Grand Canyon National Park is high among Arizona voters according to a recent poll ([link removed]) touted by Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva. 75 percent of those surveyed support designating existing public lands immediately outside the Grand Canyon as a national monument, with 48 percent responding they strongly support the idea. Similarly, in a soon-to-be-released poll from the Center for Western Priorities’ Winning the West campaign ([link removed]) , 79 percent of Arizonans surveyed support the proposal to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.
** Quick hits
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Biden expected to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
Washington Post ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | Arizona Republic ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
Podcast: Inside the effort to protect the Greater Grand Canyon region
The Landscape ([link removed])
People are shooting birds off power lines in the West
High Country News ([link removed])
Everything you need to know about why Lake Powell is so important to the Colorado River
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Fatal grizzly attack near Yellowstone renews debate over how many bears are too many
NPR ([link removed])
Oil company ordered to clean up wells in California's Carrizo Plain National Monument
E&E News ([link removed])
35-year study reveals Colorado insects in dramatic decline
Colorado Sun ([link removed])
Opinion: Protect entire Dolores River Canyon Country as national monument
Durango Herald ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” We know this place intimately. We simply cannot live without these clean waters.”
—Edmond Tilousi, vice chairman of the Havasupai Tribe, speaking about the Grand Canyon region. New York Times ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@usinterior ([link removed])
Beargrass is a wildflower in @glaciernps ([link removed]) that typically starts blooming in late May in lower elevations and can continue through August in the high country. This iconic plant, set against the backdrop of Glacier's majestic mountains and pristine wilderness, is a sight to behold.
Beargrass can grow up to five feet in height with long and wiry, grass-like basal leaves at the base of the stalk and a cluster of small, dense white flowers at the top. Bears will use the leaves as denning material, and deer, elk and goats are known to eat it for sustenance.
While beargrass is beautiful and plays an integral part in Glacier National Park, it's essential to admire and appreciate it from a distance, as picking or disturbing these plants can negatively impact the ecosystem.
Photo by Jaclyn Burdsall
#publiclands #glaciernationalpark
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