Great Bend of the Gila: America's next national monument?

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

A locally-driven campaign to protect 370,000 acres of land in Arizona hopes that President Joe Biden will designate Great Bend of the Gila as America's next national monument. Flowing west from New Mexico through central Arizona, the Gila River is the second-longest river in the state. The national monument proposal is located southwest of Phoenix, where a network of streams join the river as it bends south before joining the Colorado River.

Within the proposed monument boundaries, archaeologists have identified signs of human habitation dating back 11,000 years, including petroglyphs, canals, and building structures. The Yuman and O'Odham people trace their history to the area.

The Arizona Republic's V alley 101 podcast takes an in-depth look at the river and its history, speaking with Tribal members, biologists, and archaeologists about why the region needs protection. Learn more from Respect Great Bend of the Gila.

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                            Quote of the day
                        

We’re going to try every way we can to try and stop this operation. It’s kind of scary looking into the future, seeing how these mining companies can kind of get away with this and how the BLM is letting it happen, even when they know how it will negatively impact the tribes and the tribe’s sacred lands.”

—Ka-voka Jackson, director of Hualapai Department of Cultural Resources, Arizona Mirror

                            Picture This

                        

@usinterior

Set to be a blue moon and this year’s first supermoon, Monday’s Sturgeon Moon will appear bigger and brighter in the evening sky. 🌕

From @joshuatreenps to @acadianps, America’s public lands are ideal places for watching celestial wonders!

Photo by Brad Sutton / @nationalparkservice