February 02, 2015

Arizona Dems call for establishment of Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, Raul Grijalva and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., sent a letter Jan. 28 to President Obama calling for the establishment of a Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument to preserve the greater Grand Canyon region and protect it from existing and future threats.

"Today, it is time for a new monument to protect the greater Grand Canyon region. North and south of Grand Canyon National Park is the Grand Canyon watershed region The heart of this proposed national monument is Kaibab Plateau, where the Colorado River carves its way through the Grand Canyon and provides water for millions of people in Arizona, Nevada and California, as well as further downstream in Mexico," the letter reads.

The Arizona representatives asked the president to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish the national monument. This action would "not only protect ancient forests, corridors for migratory wildlife and thousands of archeological sites, it will also support clean drinking water, cultural heritage and recreation."

The letter noted that the Grand Canyon region is not only an environmental treasure but an economic driver for Arizona. In 2013, 4.5 million visitors spent nearly half a billion dollars in the region, supporting more than 6,000 local jobs.


Source: Eastern Arizona Courier