28-03-2025
'It belongs to all of us': Advocates rally in support of protecting Arizona's public lands
Environmental groups and public lands advocates rallied at the Arizona Capitol March 27 to call on local, state and national elected officials to protect public lands as concerns grow over Trump administration plans to open those lands to mining and natural resource extraction.
Addressing a crowd of about 200 people, the message from organizers was clear: "Keep public lands in public hands."
The Arizona Rally for Public Lands and Waters was the work of multiple groups with interest in preserving public lands, including American Hunters and Anglers Action Network, CHISPA AZ and Canyon Coolers. The nonpartisan rally also featured former Havasupai Tribal Council member Carletta Tilousi, a lifelong advocate for the Grand Canyon.
"You need to call your congressional people and let them know, do not touch our lands over here, because they were put aside for a reason," Tilousi told the crowd. "It's not just a Havasupai issue, it's not just an Indigenous people issue, it's an Arizona people issue."
About 38% of Arizona's land is managed by federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Defense, according to the Congressional Research Service.
In recent weeks, federal actions have targeted Arizona's federal public lands for domestic mining expansion, transfer to private ownership and workforce reductions.
A 2024 Grand Canyon Trust poll showed 91% of Arizonans believed that the government has a responsibility to protect public land. The same poll showed 75% of Arizonans disapprove of selling public lands, including a 57% of Republicans.
According to a report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation contributed over $14 billion to Arizona's economy in 2023 and employed over 100,000 people.
"There could be nothing more democratic than our public lands. They're available to all, but only if we keep them that way," said Land Tawney of American Hunters and Anglers Action Network when speaking to the crowd. "It belongs to all of us, it's a shared heritage."
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders calling for increased mining on federal public land, citing economic needs and national security.
Trump issued an order March 20 to expedite mining on federal lands to reduce reliance on foreign minerals, and in February, another order called for an investigation into the national security implications of importing copper.
Public lands: Copper Creek mine foes say project would disrupt San Pedro River conservation
Arizona is the biggest producer of copper in the U.S., so the orders could mean more mining in the state under an expedited permitting process that advocates fear could damage wildlife, waterways and fragile ecosystems.
"Arizona and the Southwest is under threat of existing mining and future mining, which often puts economic interest above indigenous communities and public lands in general," said D.J. Portugal, organizing director of CHISPA AZ, a grassroots environmental justice advocacy group. "It's really important that we make sure that that push and fight for clean energy doesn't directly impact public lands."
One of Interior Secretary Doug Burgham's first secretarial orders called for a review of national monuments and other public lands where new national resource extraction is prohibited. Arizona is home to 19 national monuments, including six that have been created since 2000. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents the power to create national monuments from existing federal lands.
Reports have indicated that Trump administration may attempt to rescind two recent National Monument designations in California, leaving advocates for the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument concerned that protected area may be next.
"This administration doesn't seem to have that knowledge or perspective of leaving something behind for our next generation to enjoy," said Tilousi, who spent years advocating for the monument's designation, in an interview after the rally. "If other monuments are on the chopping block, there's a great chance that all monuments are on the chopping blocks."
Public lands cuts: Mass firings halt work, raise safety concerns in Arizona's national parks and forests
Among the issues raised at the rally was the Trump administration's recent mass firings of federal employees working for the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service across the country.
Described as a "Valentine's Day Massacre," the mass firings in February saw an estimated 1,000 probationary employees terminated from the National Park Service by the Department of Interior, including interpretive rangers, biology technicians and visitor center staff at Arizona's National Parks. An estimated 3,400 employees were terminated from the Forest Service the same weekend.
Protests and rallies in support of the fired employees were organized nationwide, including crowds at Arizona's Grand Canyon and Saguaro National Parks.
The sudden loss of employees meant some public land offices struggled with daily activities. Immediately following the terminations, reports of long lines at the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park gained national attention. On Febr. 20, Saguaro National Park announced that both its visitor centers would be closed on Mondays until further notice. The park's statement did not provide a reason for the closure, but some commenters speculated the reduction in hours was due to the mass firings.
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On March 13, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the terminated probationary employees, but advocates worry that the confusion from the firings, resignations and buyout offers are coercing staff to leave of their own will or face an uncertain future.
"We're surrounded by public lands all around. I can walk out my back door and be on public lands. It's just been a large guiding part of my life, like exploring trails, being in the Grand Canyon. They're all reasons why I live in Arizona," said Neha Khurana, a Flagstaff resident who attended the rally.
"I don't think people realize how much we need our forest and park staff to help maintain access to these places," Khurana said. "Not only are there so many people who have lost their jobs, but we'll see those effects in our parks very soon."
John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to
Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Advocates rally at Capitol to support protecting Arizona's public land
