Latest news with #AncestralFootprints
Axios
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
National park layoffs hit Grand Canyon
The Trump administration's push to downsize the federal workforce has already reached Arizona's most popular national park, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Arizona has 22 national parks, monuments and recreation areas, including the Grand Canyon, one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. and a source of great pride for the state. National park tourism contributed $1.2 billion to the state's economy in 2023, according to a federal report released last year. Driving the news: At least 10 National Park Service employees stationed at the Grand Canyon have been laid off, Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, told Axios. The park service has not provided an official count of affected employees or their positions, but a spokesperson for the Grand Canyon on Tuesday told ABC15 the workers laid off were "vital" to park operations and are appealing to try to keep their jobs. Zoom in: Four employees who worked the south entrance of the Grand Canyon were let go, the Washington Post reported, leading to wait times last weekend that were twice as long as usual . Other employees who'd been fired were tasked with replacing a 12.5-mile pipeline that provides water to South Rim facilities, per the Post. The current line has experienced 85 major breaks since 2010, according to the park's website. The big picture: The Trump administration cut about 1,000 National Park Service and 3,400 Forest Service positions nationwide in the past week. Threat level: The Association of National Park Rangers warned the cuts could lead to slower rescue efforts, park closures, reduced hours and educational programs, and more litter. "If a visitor suffers a medical emergency while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, ranger response could be delayed," association president Rick Mossman said in a statement. What we're watching: Arizona U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego penned a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last week asking the administration to commit to protecting Arizona's newest national monument, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Former President Biden established the monument in 2023 at the behest of tribal and local leaders who wanted the 900,000 acres surrounding the Grand Canyon protected from mining and other development. Yes, but: State GOP lawmakers have tried to undo the monument designation, so far unsuccessfully, claiming the ban on uranium mining negatively impacts Arizona's revenue potential. The bottom line:"Tribes and Arizona communities deserve to move on with the management planning process for this National Monument rather than worry that there may be attempts to remove it," the senators wrote.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona Republicans lose bid to block Grand Canyon monument protections
Hikers descend the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab Trail in this 2013 file photo. Uranium mining backers agree that the Grand Canyon is an 'irreplaceable jewel,' but insist it would not be threatened by modern mining. Photo by Michael Quinn | National Park Service. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit that Arizona GOP lawmakers brought last year aiming to strike down former President Joe Biden's national monument designation near the Grand Canyon. The lawsuit argued that Biden did not have the power to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. They also claimed it harms both the state and local communities by permanently barring uranium mining — limiting the state's potential future revenue — and complicating land development. However, Judge Stephen McNamee ruled that the Arizona Legislature and the other plaintiffs did not have standing to sue based on their claims surrounding legislative status, resource injury, impingement of water rights, reduced revenue and economic development, and increased burdens. 'As no Plaintiff has standing, the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this matter and dismisses the parties' complaints,' McNamee wrote in the dismissal. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Senate President Warren Petersen and former House Speaker Ben Toma, both Republicans, filed the lawsuit last year, asking the court to declare the monument's creation unlawful and set aside its designation. They were joined by State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Mohave County, Colorado City, the town of Fredonia and a cattle rancher from northern Arizona. The cattle rancher claimed the monument covers a significant portion of his land, exposing him to 'severe regulatory burdens and the threat of criminal penalties for engaging in everyday conduct' on his ranch. Although the case has been dismissed, Petersen said they are reviewing the ruling and will likely file an appeal. And if the courts won't do it, he said President Donald Trump will. 'We are confident this unconstitutional land grab will be reversed, either by the courts or by the Trump Administration,' Petersen said in a statement emailed to the Arizona Mirror. Trump downsized two national monuments in southern Utah during his first term: the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears. Biden restored protections for both monuments during his administration. Supporters are concerned over the possibility of the monument near the Grand Canyon being downsized or reversed. Grand Canyon Trust attorney Aaron Paul said the Trump administration's actions in its first weeks in office, including the newly appointed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's order to review all of the country's national monuments for potential oil and gas drilling and mining reserves, are cause for alarm about the future of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Paul said there is 'no doubt' that conversation groups and tribes expect political challenges. 'I hope that folks who oppose the monument will come to understand how broad the support is for national monuments like Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni and that we can move on to planning the monument management in a productive, meaningful way,' he said. The Grand Canyon Trust recently released the results of a poll on Arizona voters's support for national monuments. The poll found that 80% of Arziona voters support Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukven, and 88% support the Antiquities Act. 'This court order is great news for the remarkable cultural and biodiversity values that the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni National Monument protects,' Taylor McKinnon, the southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. 'The public supports this iconic monument and the wisdom of the Tribes who proposed and fought for it,' McKinnon added. 'Any further attacks from uranium industry surrogates or opponents of public lands will be wildly unpopular and meet fierce resistance.' Tribal nations also celebrated the court's decision, which protects a culturally significant region held sacred by multiple tribes in the state. Havasupai Tribe Chairwoman Bernadine Jones said in a press release that the designation of the national monument was the direct result of tireless advocacy by her tribe and its members. The Havasupai Tribe's land is over 188,000 acres of canyon land and broken plateaus bordering the western edge of the Grand Canyons' south rim. Supai, its main village, is located eight miles below the rim of the Grand Canyon. 'We fought for decades to protect these lands, and we're grateful that the source has dismissed the challenge to those hard-won protections,' Jones said. The lands of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni include cultural and sacred places of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Native American Rights Fund Deputy Director Matthew Campbell said in a press release that tribal nations in the Grand Canyon region have had to fight incredibly hard for the protections Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni upheld. Campbell said over and over the cultural needs and health of Indigenous people in the region have been 'sidelined in order to maximize corporate profits.' The court's decision cannot undo the damage that has already been done, Campbell said, but it does leave in place some 'long-sought protections going forward.' The monument will protect thousands of historical and scientific objects, sacred sites, vital water sources, and the ancestral homelands of many Indigenous communities. The monument's name comes from the Indigenous names the Havasupai and Hopi gave to the area. In the Havasupai language, Baaj Nwaavjo means 'where Indigenous peoples roam,' while I'tah Kukveni means 'our ancestral footprints' in the Hopi language. Hopi Tribe Vice Chairman Craig Andrews said in a press release that protecting the tribe's homelands within the national monument represents the resilience of its people. 'These lands preserve our history, our life, and our future,' he said. 'We have lived in this region since time immemorial and our commitment to protect these lands will extend forward just as long.' Paul said the judge's dismissal is a victory for the monument because it puts off further litigation and reassures that the monument can continue protecting what it is meant to, including the cultural and ancestral sites of the tribal nations. When the lawsuit was filed, Republicans called the creation of the monument a 'dictator-style land grab,' and Petersen said that it would wreak havoc on local and state economies, jeopardize livelihoods and compromise national security. Paul said the idea behind the monument designation was a 'land grab' has no basis in history or law because there was 'not one square inch of land' that was not already under federal ownership. 'The idea that the federal government took away something from the Arizona Legislature or Mohave County is just plain wrong,' he added. Paul said the lawsuit's dismissal shows that the designation of the national monument, which protects the land near the Grand Canyon, does not harm the Arizona legislator or a rancher in northern Arizona. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge rejects challenge to national monument near Grand Canyon. Will Trump step in?
A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by Arizona lawmakers challenging former President Joe Biden's designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon. The dismissal of a case brought by legislative Republicans and backed by Mohave County shifts attention to Washington, where many on both sides of the issue expect that President Donald Trump may shrink or rescind the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. At issue is the prospect of renewed uranium prospecting in the region northwest of Flagstaff and south of Kanab, Utah. 'We are reviewing this ruling and will likely file an appeal,' Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said in a written response to questions. 'We are confident this unconstitutional land grab will be reversed, either by the courts or by the Trump Administration.' Trump has a history of downsizing national monuments created by Democratic predecessors, having done so in his first term to the Clinton-designated Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Obama-designated Bears Ears national monuments, both in southern Utah. Biden restored protections in both cases after defeating Trump in 2020. Environmental and tribal groups lauded the decision and said they'll guard against further efforts to undo the land protections. Polling recently released by the Grand Canyon Trust indicated that a substantial majority of Arizonans, including Republicans, favor the monument. 'The public supports this iconic monument and the wisdom of the Tribes who proposed and fought for it,' Center for Biological Diversity Southwest Director Taylor McKinnon said in an email. 'Any further attacks from uranium industry surrogates or opponents of public lands will be wildlife unpopular and meet fierce resistance.' The Native American Rights Fund released a statement saying that tribes including its clients, the Havasupai and Hopi, 'celebrated the court's decision, which maintains protections for a culturally significant region that was taken away from Tribal Nations.' Petersen and then-House Speaker Ben Toma filed the suit against the Biden administration to undo the roughly 1 million-acre monument designation on federal lands north and south of Grand Canyon. They, along with Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Mohave County and the towns of Colorado City and Fredonia, argued that the monument harmed the state and local governments by restricting potential uranium mining revenues and complicating state efforts to develop State Trust Lands in the area. A rancher also joined the case, arguing that the new land protections could jeopardize normal ranch operations such as pond maintenance or tree removals on leased lands. Senior Judge Stephen McNamee of the U.S. District Court of Arizona on Monday ruled that none of the plaintiffs have standing to sue, as only the state's executive branch can sue on behalf of the State Land Department. In ruling against the rancher's claim, he added that the monument designation specifically authorized the continued leasing of grazing rights on the land. The governor and attorney general, both Democrats, had declined to join the lawsuit and said the lawmakers overstepped their authority. Biden traveled to Red Butte, some 10 miles from the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, to announce the new monument in the summer of 2023. The protections he imposed through his powers under the Antiquities Act were meant to honor numerous tribes' links to the area and to make permanent a 20-year moratorium against uranium mining that the Obama administration had imposed on roughly the same lands in 2012. At that ceremony, 6 miles from a uranium mine approved previously and not subject to the new protections, Havasupai officials rejoiced. Their reservation, at the edge of Grand Canyon, includes springs they fear may become contaminated by groundwater flowing from mined areas. Energy Fuels Resources, the company that operates the Pinyon Plain Mine, has said that isn't a risk, while U.S. Geological Survey researchers have said they need more information about groundwater flows. When the Grand Canyon Trust released its poll findings this month, Havasupai Chairwoman Bernadine Jones said she had heard rumblings of the incoming Trump administration's plans and feared they would include a monument reversal and renewed uranium prospecting. The protected lands are where her ancestors lived in winter before returning to the canyon for summer, she said, and remain sacred. Coconino County contains the largest share of the new monument, and Patrice Horstman, vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors, said it strongly supports the monument. The county and its population base in Flagstaff rely on tourism and outdoor recreation, she said. 'This monument is an asset to our economy and it protects our lands and waters.' Energy Fuels, the uranium miner, was not a party to the lawsuit but did criticize Biden's action in 2023 as counter to another of its stated goals: producing carbon-free energy. On Wednesday, company spokesman Curtis Moore said Energy Fuels 'supports protecting public lands where appropriate' but that monument designations with seemingly arbitrary boundaries that 'expand and shrink and expand once again' depending on who is president, make it difficult for companies to plan investments or for agencies to manage the land. 'The uranium mining we perform is the first step in the nuclear fuel cycle for zero-emission baseload energy that appears to be the resource of choice to support growing energy needs, including the staggering amount of energy expected to be needed for data centers, AI, and other technologies,' Moore said. 'Resource development takes investment and long-term planning, so we are directly impacted by constant changes.' Mohave County contains about 350,000 acres of the monument and had argued that Biden overreached in designating the monument, possibly costing the county jobs and tax revenues from mine development. County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter said a judge's ruling that plaintiffs lack standing 'is the most political way for a judge to avoid taking on an issue.' The plaintiffs are reviewing their options, Lingenfelter said. 'The goal has always been to get this issue concerning abuse of the Antiquities Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court for their review,' he said, 'so I would not rule out seeing this appealed by the Arizona Legislature, Mohave County, and affected northern Arizona communities.' Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and Reach him at Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Judge rejects challenge to national monument near Grand Canyon
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Judge rejects challenge to national monument near Grand Canyon. Will Trump step in?
A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by Arizona lawmakers challenging former President Joe Biden's designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon. The dismissal of a case brought by legislative Republicans and backed by Mohave County shifts attention to Washington, where many on both sides of the issue expect that President Donald Trump may shrink or rescind the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. At issue is the prospect of renewed uranium prospecting in the region northwest of Flagstaff and south of Kanab, Utah. 'We are reviewing this ruling and will likely file an appeal,' Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said in a written response to questions. 'We are confident this unconstitutional land grab will be reversed, either by the courts or by the Trump Administration.' Trump has a history of downsizing national monuments created by Democratic predecessors, having done so in his first term to the Clinton-designated Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Obama-designated Bears Ears national monuments, both in southern Utah. Biden restored protections in both cases after defeating Trump in 2020. Environmental and tribal groups lauded the decision and said they'll guard against further efforts to undo the land protections. Polling recently released by the Grand Canyon Trust indicated that a substantial majority of Arizonans, including Republicans, favor the monument. 'The public supports this iconic monument and the wisdom of the Tribes who proposed and fought for it,' Center for Biological Diversity Southwest Director Taylor McKinnon said in an email. 'Any further attacks from uranium industry surrogates or opponents of public lands will be wildlife unpopular and meet fierce resistance.' The Native American Rights Fund released a statement saying that tribes including its clients, the Havasupai and Hopi, 'celebrated the court's decision, which maintains protections for a culturally significant region that was taken away from Tribal Nations.' Lawmakers are joined by county, rancher Petersen and then-House Speaker Ben Toma filed the suit against the Biden administration to undo the roughly 1 million-acre monument designation on federal lands north and south of Grand Canyon. They, along with Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Mohave County and the towns of Colorado City and Fredonia, argued that the monument harmed the state and local governments by restricting potential uranium mining revenues and complicating state efforts to develop State Trust Lands in the area. A rancher also joined the case, arguing that the new land protections could jeopardize normal ranch operations such as pond maintenance or tree removals on leased lands. Senior Judge Stephen McNamee of the U.S. District Court of Arizona on Monday ruled that none of the plaintiffs have standing to sue, as only the state's executive branch can sue on behalf of the State Land Department. In ruling against the rancher's claim, he added that the monument designation specifically authorized the continued leasing of grazing rights on the land. The governor and attorney general, both Democrats, had declined to join the lawsuit and said the lawmakers overstepped their authority. Biden traveled to Red Butte, some 10 miles from the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, to announce the new monument in the summer of 2023. The protections he imposed through his powers under the Antiquities Act were meant to honor numerous tribes' links to the area and to make permanent a 20-year moratorium against uranium mining that the Obama administration had imposed on roughly the same lands in 2012. At that ceremony, 6 miles from a uranium mine approved previously and not subject to the new protections, Havasupai officials rejoiced. Their reservation, at the edge of Grand Canyon, includes springs they fear may become contaminated by groundwater flowing from mined areas. Tribes fear contamination of land, water Energy Fuels Resources, the company that operates the Pinyon Plain Mine, has said that isn't a risk, while U.S. Geological Survey researchers have said they need more information about groundwater flows. When the Grand Canyon Trust released its poll findings this month, Havasupai Chairwoman Bernadine Jones said she had heard rumblings of the incoming Trump administration's plans and feared they would include a monument reversal and renewed uranium prospecting. The protected lands are where her ancestors lived in winter before returning to the canyon for summer, she said, and remain sacred. Coconino County contains the largest share of the new monument, and Patrice Horstman, vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors, said it strongly supports the monument. The county and its population base in Flagstaff rely on tourism and outdoor recreation, she said. 'This monument is an asset to our economy and it protects our lands and waters.' Energy Fuels, the uranium miner, was not a party to the lawsuit but did criticize Biden's action in 2023 as counter to another of its stated goals: producing carbon-free energy. On Wednesday, company spokesman Curtis Moore said Energy Fuels 'supports protecting public lands where appropriate' but that monument designations with seemingly arbitrary boundaries that 'expand and shrink and expand once again' depending on who is president, make it difficult for companies to plan investments or for agencies to manage the land. 'The uranium mining we perform is the first step in the nuclear fuel cycle for zero-emission baseload energy that appears to be the resource of choice to support growing energy needs, including the staggering amount of energy expected to be needed for data centers, AI, and other technologies,' Moore said. 'Resource development takes investment and long-term planning, so we are directly impacted by constant changes.' Mohave County contains about 350,000 acres of the monument and had argued that Biden overreached in designating the monument, possibly costing the county jobs and tax revenues from mine development. County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter said a judge's ruling that plaintiffs lack standing 'is the most political way for a judge to avoid taking on an issue.' The plaintiffs are reviewing their options, Lingenfelter said. 'The goal has always been to get this issue concerning abuse of the Antiquities Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court for their review,' he said, 'so I would not rule out seeing this appealed by the Arizona Legislature, Mohave County, and affected northern Arizona communities.' Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and Reach him at Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram.
