Grand Canyon Area Could Gain New National Monument

After years of lobbying from Native American groups and environmentalists, President Biden is considering designating a vast new national monument near the Grand Canyon to protect the land from uranium mining.

As Timothy Puko reports in The Washington Post, “Advocates have been lobbying for a monument designation in part to honor long-standing Native American connections to the Grand Canyon.”

The proposed monument could include two sections on Grand Canyon National Park’s northern border and one on the southeast. “Federal officials have not yet made clear the borders they will set for the designation, the people said. But two said Biden officials in recent weeks have signaled support for the proposal.”

Mining industry officials plan to fight the decision, according to the article, while advocates for the monument say the region only holds 1.3 percent of U.S. uranium reserves. “Environmental groups point to a Colorado College poll from this year that showed vast support among Arizonans for action on conservation and water protections. That includes 62 percent support for legislation to permanently ban new mining on public lands surrounding the canyon.”