** National parks of the future
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Thursday, June 24, 2021
Chiricahua National Monument, National Park Service ([link removed])

Throughout the history of American public lands, there has been a pattern ([link removed]) of incredible landscapes being first designated as national monuments before later becoming beloved, world-renowned national parks.

Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument is the latest to potentially follow in that tradition ([link removed]) , with a bill moving through Congress that would establish the area as a national park. The change in designation has broad support ([link removed]) , including from the National Park Service and Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly. Four members of the Arizona Congressional delegation are also pushing bills to expand the boundaries of Sunset Crater and Casa Grande Ruins National Monuments.

National monuments across the country have continued to grow in popularity as public lands visitation rates skyrocket. Indeed, 77% ([link removed]) of Westerners support restoring national monument protections to lands in the West (including 74% ([link removed]) of Utahns), and 84% ([link removed]) of Westerners support creating new protected areas such as national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, and tribal protected areas. National monuments are also economic drivers in rural communities ([link removed]) , with substantial economic growth following designation.

It makes sense that national monuments are becoming so popular and have so much public support: the landscapes and culture protected by national monuments are foundational American heritage ([link removed]) . In the early 1990s, Congress granted presidents the power to designate national monuments to conserve important natural and cultural sites through the Antiquities Act of 1906. Since then, 17 presidents ([link removed]) from both parties have used the landmark law to conserve these sites as national monuments.

Many national monuments have later become some of the country's most popular national parks. If Chiricahua National Monument were to follow that path, it wouldjoin the ranks of national parks such as the Grand Canyon, Olympic, and Glacier Bay ([link removed]) . But Chiricahua had to be protected in the first place, demonstrating the importance of continuing to protect worthy landscapes across the country as national monuments ([link removed]) —who knows, some of those unprotected special places ([link removed]) could be the national parks of the future.
Quick hits


** Another dry year on the Colorado River could force states, feds back to negotiating table
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KUNC ([link removed])


** Report finds Wyoming may be caught in a resource trap, over-reliant on natural resources
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Casper Star-Tribune ([link removed])


** Heat wave sparks historically unseasonable wildfires in West
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Extreme heat is making southwestern national parks dangerous for visitors, hot enough to bake cookies, as another hiker dies
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Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) [Zion] | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) [Another death in Grand Canyon] | Backpacker ([link removed]) [Bake cookies]


** California oil regulators delay health, safety rules... again
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Associated Press ([link removed])


** Climbing advocates survey Bears Ears climbers ahead of management planning
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Moab Sun News ([link removed])


** National Bison Range has officially been returned to tribal management, Bureau of Indian Affairs
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Missoulian ([link removed])


** Opinion: It's time for California to start taking droughts seriously
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New York Times ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The incentive to actually cultivate local entrepreneurs, the incentive to have a really strong downtown that can attract tourists or that can that can serve as a platform for local businesses that people want to patronize, as opposed to non locally owned businesses — all of those incentives are dulled when your budget is predominantly dependent on the extraction of some natural resource."

—Daniel Herriges, senior editor for Strong Towns, C ([link removed]) asper Star-Tribune ([link removed])
Picture this


** @I ([link removed]) nterior ([link removed])
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If you missed the good news, we have your back. @SecDebHaaland ([link removed]) just designated 10 new trails to the National Trails System! These new national recreation trails in eight states, add more than 160 miles to the National Trails System. [link removed] ([link removed])

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