Featuring Haul no! and live music by Tha ‘Yoties. Doors open at 5 p. Show starts at 6 pm. Come visit our tables and the Shifting Topographies: Extracting the Landscape Exhibition.

Monumental Moment: For years, shy and soft-spoken teenager Maya Tilousi-Lyttle has been protesting uranium mining on the border of Grand Canyon National Park with her mother, Havasupai advocate Carletta Tilousi. On Aug. 8, 2023, she spoke powerfully from a podium moments before President Joe Biden signed the proclamation declaring Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The monument represented a form of long-sought permanent protection for a region that holds irreplaceable significance to the Indigenous peoples who have called it home for millennia. But in January 2025, the Arizona legislature and others filed lawsuits attempting to overturn the monument designation and attacking the Antiquities Act as unlawful. The fight continues, and it is up to Maya’s generation to make their voices heard. Directed by Pete McBride. 15 minutes.

Uli-Kin: A Cry for the Homelands: A film about the quest for social and environmental justice for tribes of the Grand Canyon region. With an emphasis on uranium contamination threats to Havasupai and Navajo Nations, and dangerously high levels of arsenic in Hopi, “A Cry for the Homelands” features the voices of Derrick Suwaima Davis, Ryon Polequaptewa, Carletta Tilousi, Dianna Sue Uqualla, Ernest Taho and Ed Kabotie. The short was filmed by David Wallace during @tha_yoties Grand Canyon to Washington DC campaign in the fall of 2023. 28 minutes.

Why Now?

The Trump Administration has clearly stated it will move to eliminate this National Monument and the Antiquities Act with it if it doesn’t hear significant public outcry. In addition, in September Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) introduced two separate Bills targeting Arizona national monuments. Together, both Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon and Ironwood Forest National Monuments would have their status removed should these heinous bills get passed. This is a broadly unpopular move with 80% of Arizonans in favor of these national monuments. But many don’t know what their local monuments are and what they protect.

The post In Defense of our National Monument | Film Night and Live Music with Tha ‘Yoties | Nov 5 at the Coconino Center for the Arts appeared first on Wild Arizona.

we restore the wild lands and waters of Arizona and beyond…

we do it by hand.

Our Wilderness Stewardship program, affectionately dubbed ‘Wild Stew,’ connects people with nature and public lands through on-the-ground projects designed to fulfill our mission to protect, unite, and restore wild lands and waters across Arizona and beyond, for the enrichment and health of all citizens, and to ensure Arizona’s native plants and animals a lasting home in wild nature.

Wild Stew began as a handful of volunteers in 2010 and has grown to an award winning program and Arizona’s only full-time and year-round professional field crew. Volunteers now work in collaboration with our professional crew, complimenting and learning from an expert skill set in order to accomplish real and meaningful stewardship projects.

the wild places we’ve been in 2025.

four seasons with the Wild Stew Field Crew on the Colorado Plateau, along the Mogollon Rim and in the Sky Islands

Trail Maintenance and Restoration

We restore trails in the wilderness and wild lands of Arizona and New Mexico. We currently have projects across the Mogollon Rim, in the Sky Islands and in all six Arizona National Forests. We use ancient and well tested tools like the cross-cut saw and appropriately applied modern tools of the trade including chainsaws.

It’s hard work! And we take pride in what we do. We shape and maintain trails through all sorts of wild weather, from high mountain wind and snow to desert canyon heat. Since we pay well and take care of our crews, if you meet us on the trail you’ll find that spirits are high and we enjoy working together.   We provide ongoing training to keep crew members at the highest level of expertise including cross-cut, chain-saw, rock work, first-aid and leadership training.

The aim of our work is to protect the integrity of the ecosystems we visit. Trails are the lifeline connecting us to wild areas. By improving and restoring trails we shape mobility, keeping forests and watersheds intact, and reducing erosion and sedimentation that are harmful to habitat. Current and ancient human cultures have for millenia used and shaped trails to hunt, gather, and travel. Now they are more important than ever to bring us into the peace of wild things, at the pace of the natural world, where ‘human works do not dominate the landscape.’

feature project: Healing the Highline, 50 miles of trail along the Mogollon Rim

trails
stewarded in 2025

volunteer service in 2025

riparian habitat restored in 2025

Watershed Restoration

Our watershed and riparian restoration projects range from simple removal of invasive plants to multi-year projects that include comprehensive biological monitoring and assessment, stream restoration, springs protection and multi-year native replanting projects.

Projects enhance habitat quality and connectivity for aquatic and terrestrial species, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Restored habitat can provide food, shelter and breeding grounds for a variety of plants and animals.

feature project: Arnett Creek, Gila watershed

Youth Programs

youth conservation corps. For six weeks in the Chiricahua Mountains each summer, our youth conservation corps members live, work and play in the wild lands of Arizona. They learn the skills needed to maintain hiking trails, travel and camp outside, and steward our public lands.

restoring the Colorado River at Paria Beach. As part of this multi-year project to restore ecological health to the Colorado River corridor, indigenous youth and youth from Page High School remove invasive tamarisk sprouts, collect and plant native willow poles, help to establish recently planted native trees through watering, and maintain protective caging around native trees. We partner with Hydroflask, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park and the Arizona Water Protection Fund.

restoring ecosystem function to Dry Blue Creek. At this six day field camp for indigenous youth from the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, youth create one-rock-dams and other erosion control structures, plant willow poles for stability and shade along the creek, and work to protect and restore aquatic habitat. Youth learn outdoor camping and travel skills under the wide wild sky of the Gila National Forest.

2025 youth conservation corps highlights, pics and short film

iN SERVICE OF OUR PUBLIC LANDS

get involved

Get outside, have some fun, and learn the skills to protect and restore your favorite wild places. Our goal is to provide communities with the techniques and resources to protect our beloved wild lands and waters. Plant some trees! Learn how to use a cross-cut saw! Be a wilderness solitude monitor! There’s a lot to do and we need your help.

volunteer

Outdoor Equity Fund

We need your help to bring outdoor skills and smiles to kids that haven’t historically been represented in outdoor programs. The goal of the Outdoor Equity Fund is to engage indigenous and under-served youth in wilderness and public lands by increasing access to existing programs and creating new opportunities in partnership with tribal communities. We break down barriers by spending extended time in regions youth call home, and by providing resources partners ask for, like transportation and gear. With the help of the Chiricahua Regional Council and private donors like you, we were successful in meeting our 2024 goals . A huge thank you to our partners, the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. You help to make our programs better.

Click below to donate, select or type in your amount, and then be sure to choose Outdoor Equity Fund on the payment page…

donate to the Outdoor Equity Fund

donated so far in 2025

Wild Stew Giving Crew

☞  Want to do something more meaningful for the wild outdoors in 2025? Give back with a contribution that keeps giving all year long! Join our new sustainer giving circle: the Wild Stew Giving Crew. Make it a one-time donation of $120, Give Monthly at just $10/month, or choose your own flavor!

A WILD thank you for your support!

DONATE to join the Wild Stew Giving Crew!

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Film still, Carletta Tilousi, Havasupai, at Grand Canyon. ©2023 David Wallace Visuals

The post “a cry for the homelands” appeared first on Wild Arizona.

(Article reprinted from Inside Climate News)

PHOENIX—Members of environmental groups stood together in the lobby of the Arizona State Capitol Executive Tower late last month to deliver a petition to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, requesting that she stop uranium mining activities near the Grand Canyon National Park. The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Wild Arizona, Chispa Arizona and Haul No!, a group formed to fight the mining and transport of uranium, delivered a petition with more than 17,500 signatures to the governor. They are seeking closure of the Pinyon Plain Mine, located less than 10 miles from the Grand Canyon. It is inside the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, which President Joe Biden established in August 2023. The removal of uranium ore from the mine started in late December. Although the designation prohibits new mining claims and development, it allows prior claims with valid existing rights like Pinyon Plain to continue their operations. Energy Fuels Resources owns the mine, which is approximately 17 acres, and operates it on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. “This mine threatens to pollute the groundwater that feeds the seeps and springs in Grand Canyon, supporting plants, animals and people,” the petition states. People can develop respiratory disease and toxicity in the kidneys due to uranium exposure, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. There are more than 500 abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, and the tribe continues to confront the ramifications of mining activities on tribal members and the environment. This includes advocating for federal money to clean up abandoned mines and compensation for former mine workers. No one from Hobbs’ office met the group or accepted the written requests in person. Instead, the activists left the petition, the groups’ latest action attempting to get the Democratic governor’s attention, with the executive receptionist on the first floor. In January, the groups sent a letter to Hobbs urging her to revisit permits issued for Pinyon Plain Mine and seeking her help closing it. They said she has not responded to the letter. A spokesperson with the governor’s office confirmed on July 11 that the petition was received.

“Gov. Hobbs will always put the health and safety of everyday Arizonans first. Pinyon Plain is one of the most closely regulated mines in the country, with an extremely stringent permit,” Liliana Soto, press secretary for the governor, said in a statement. Energy Fuels Resources President and CEO Mark Chalmers said groups opposing the mine failed to prove their claims about the permitting process in court and are now conducting a “public disinformation campaign.” “The Pinyon Plain Mine has been studied extensively for more than 30 years, with input from federal and state agencies, regulatory bodies and tribal stakeholders resulting in the issuance of all required permits for the mine,” Chalmers said in a written statement. “Unfortunately, this smear campaign is designed to scare local and Indigenous communities by spreading misinformation and innuendo,” he said. “We are proud of the Pinyon Plain Mine and its role in reducing reliance on bad actors like Russia for the fuel that powers one of our best sources of carbon-free electricity.” Vania Guevara is the advocacy and political director with Chispa Arizona, a program under the League of Conservation Voters that is dedicated to increasing Latinx voices in policies that address climate change and the environment. Guevara said it is urgent for Hobbs to address uranium mining because it threatens the health and safety of Indigenous communities. A dozen tribes have ancestral, ceremonial and traditional connections to the region, including 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. Chispa Arizona helped collect signatures as part of its support of protections for the Grand Canyon. Its work includes organizing camping trips to the canyon for Maricopa County residents. “Many of our community members don’t have the resources to camp or get up there,” Guevara said. “So, it’s something that we’re really passionate about, having access to public lands.” During the petition delivery, Guevara was among those who held banners inside the tower’s lobby stating, “Shut down Pinyon Plain Uranium Mine,” along with an illustration of a ram skull with a radiation symbol, or trefoil, on its forehead. “We support clean energy transition, but we never want it to be at the expense of the Earth, the environment or our Indigenous communities who are first and directly impacted,” she said.

Pinyon Plain Mine is situated above the Redwall-Muav Aquifer, the source of drinking water for the village of Supai on the Havasupai tribal land at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The aquifer also feeds springs in the canyon. The mine is at the foot of Red Butte, a prominent peak sacred to the Havasupai. “Those springs and streams are incredibly important to people and biodiversity, endangered species, the Havasupai Tribe, and neither industry nor regulators can ensure that uranium mining won’t permanently damage that water,” said Taylor McKinnon, the Center for Biological Diversity’s Southwest Director. “The safe thing to do, the prudent thing to do, is to avoid that risk altogether and close the mine. Permanently harming the Grand Canyon’s aquifers and seeps and springs is not a risk that’s worth taking,” he added. “We need the governor to act.” Although the mine is on federal public land, Carletta Tilousi, who is Havasupai, said Hobbs’ role as governor is significant in the effort to end Pinyon Plain because she oversees the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, which administers the state’s environmental laws, and appoints that agency’s director.

Additionally, the department shares regulatory responsibility for certain federal programs delegated by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the Arizona Secretary of State. This regulatory responsibility includes issuing air and water quality permits for Pinyon Plain Mine. “ADEQ performs regular and thorough inspections of the mine, working closely with local and county partners, and stands ready to take appropriate action if violations are found,” Soto said in the statement from Hobbs’ office. “The state will also continually evaluate our procedures and safety requirements to ensure the mine is operating in a way that keeps our communities safe now and into the future.” The Havasupai Tribal Council stated in January that they remain opposed to uranium mining in and around their tribal lands and the Grand Canyon. “We feel that she needs to look deeper into what’s happening and what permits are being given to which companies,” Tilousi said. “These mining companies aren’t benefiting us at all. I don’t think they support anything in the state of Arizona. They just mine and leave.” Because of increased pricing for uranium and support for nuclear energy to help address climate change, Energy Fuels Resources began extracting uranium ore last year at Pinyon Plain and two mines in eastern Utah. The company is preparing two more mines for production in Colorado and Wyoming this year, it announced in a news release in December.

“The Pinyon Plain Mine is a small mine that will play a big role in providing domestically sourced uranium—the naturally occurring element that fuels safe, reliable and carbon-free nuclear energy,” Chalmers said. He added that nuclear accounts for approximately one-third of the electricity used by Arizona residents to power homes, schools, businesses and electric vehicles. Energy Fuels Resources plans to start hauling ore from the three operating mines to its White Mesa Mill near Blanding, Utah, where it will be stockpiled until processing begins in 2025. Transporting the ore is another issue for Tilousi, who is a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. “My concern is the safety of the people on that road,” she said. “What happens when there’s a spill or a wreck or an accident? Who’s going to clean it up?” Members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe oppose the transportation plan because several members live in the White Mesa community, which is adjacent to the mill site, while leaders and members of the Navajo Nation oppose the route because it crosses the tribe’s land. Former tribal President Ben Shelly and the 22nd Navajo Nation Council enacted a law in 2012 that prohibits transporting uranium and other radioactive materials across the Navajo Nation unless it relates to the cleanup of past activities related to uranium mining and milling sites on the tribe’s land.

“What happens when there’s a spill or a wreck or an accident? Who’s going to clean it up?”

“The Navajo Nation has the right to exclude nonmembers and to condition their entry onto Navajo Nation lands and has the independent sovereign right and duty to protect the health, welfare and safety of the Navajo Nation and its citizens,” the tribal law states. Energy Fuels Resources is authorized to use two routes that travel on state and federal highways, including those on Navajo land, according to Kaibab National Forest’s website. The roads are under the authority of the Arizona Department of Transportation, and the agency is not bound to comply with the tribe’s law from 2012. In April, the Navajo Nation Council and tribal President Buu Nygren reiterated the tribe’s stance against uranium mining and associated activities. The resolution signed by Nygren includes a letter written by him and tribal council Speaker Crystalyne Curley to Biden that asks the president to use his executive authority to stop the planned transportation across the tribe’s land before it starts. “Furthermore, we implore you to publicly support a legislative solution that would reinforce the sovereignty of tribal nations, enabling us to enforce our laws and protect our people,” Nygren and Curley wrote in the letter. They also reminded Biden that Navajo leaders were “encouraged” by the establishment of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni national monument. “Our support for the monument reaffirmed our stance against the transportation of uranium across Navajo lands, which not only endangers our communities but also contradicts our sovereign rights to enforce our laws and protect our territory,” the tribal leaders wrote. In a news release on July 10, Nygren repeated the tribe’s position opposing trucks using roads on the Navajo Nation to deliver uranium to Utah.

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For Immediate Release:  April 25, 2024 

Contact:
Perry Wheeler, Earthjustice, 202-792-6211, pwheeler@earthjustice.org
Caitlyn Burford, National Parks Conservation Association, 541-371-6452, cburford@npca.org 
Taylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity, 801-300-2414, tmckinnon@biologicaldiversity.org 
Michael Toll, Grand Canyon Trust, 303-309-2165, mtoll@grandcanyontrust.org 
Andrew Scibetta, NRDC, 202-289-2421, ascibetta@NRDC.org
Kelly Burke, Wild Arizona, 928-606-7870, kelly@wildarizona.org 
Cyndi Tuell, Western Watersheds Project, 520-272-2454, cyndi@westernwatersheds.org 
Chris Krupp, WildEarth Guardians, 206-417-6363, ckrupp@wildearthguardians.org
Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club, 602-999-5790, sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org 

Phoenix, AZ – Conservation groups filed a motion to intervene yesterday in defense of President Biden’s designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona. The Arizona legislature and others filed lawsuits in February attempting to overturn the monument designation and attacking the Antiquities Act as unlawful. The monument lies within the homelands of and holds great cultural significance to numerous Tribes, who led the effort to protect the monument.  

The Havasupai Tribe, the Hopi Tribe, and the Navajo Nation also moved to intervene on Wednesday. 

“This monument is a testament to the decades of tireless advocacy by numerous Tribes to secure federal protections for their ancestral lands and waters around the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, the Arizona legislature and other parties have sued to eviscerate the monument and to gut the Antiquities Act,” said Michael Toll, staff attorney for the Grand Canyon Trust. “The legislature relies on the same basic arguments that have been rejected by every court to consider them, and we’ll work for that same outcome in this case.”

President Biden lawfully designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in August 2023, answering longtime calls from Tribal leaders to permanently protect over 900,000 acres adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park. The monument safeguards sacred Indigenous cultural sites as well as remarkable archaeological and ecological features from uranium mining and other threats. 

Tribes including the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Paiute Tribe, Las Vegas Band of Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Shivwits Band of Paiutes, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni and the Colorado River Indian Tribes urged President Biden to designate a national monument to honor their deep cultural ties to the Grand Canyon.

Uranium mining around the Grand Canyon threatens to further deplete and permanently pollute the aquifers that feed the Grand Canyon’s springs, which provide water for both the Havasupai Tribe and a rich diversity of plants and animals. Previous mining in the Grand Canyon region has contaminated land and water and radiation has sickened people living nearby, including on the Navajo Nation, where hundreds of abandoned uranium mines still await cleanup. 

“Like the Grand Canyon itself, this breathtaking monument safeguards globally significant cultural values and biodiversity, and we’re determined to defend it,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It enshrines decades of Tribal and community advocacy, and we’re confident that these lawsuits will be shown to be on the wrong side of both the law and history.” 

“The critical significance of this lawfully designated monument to the well-being and long-term resilience of Tribal communities, Grand Canyon’s waters and wildlife, the Colorado River, our Grand Canyon state, the nation and the world, cannot be overstated,” said Kelly Burke, executive director for Wild Arizona. “Apparently all this is lost on the Arizona legislature’s leadership, and is why we are committed to stand with Tribal nations in defense of this treasured living landscape against such self-serving attacks.” 

The region is also home to many sensitive and endangered species, including the humpback chub, California condor, desert bighorn sheep, Mexican spotted owl and Western yellow-billed cuckoo, as well as endemic plant and animal species like the Kaibab monkey grasshopper, the House Rock Valley chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, Grand Canyon ringlet butterfly and Tusayan rabbitbrush. Paleontological resources are also found throughout the area, with fossils documented in written scientific literature for nearly 150 years. 

“The state and special interest lawsuits against the monument’s designation show a blatant disregard for the cultural values and widespread importance of protecting this amazing place,” said Cyndi Tuell, Western Watersheds Project’s Arizona and New Mexico director. “Private commercial interests cannot outweigh the national significance of these lands, and in fact, the Biden Administration should have done more to ensure that land uses like livestock grazing do not continue to damage natural and cultural resources.”

The attack, led by the Arizona legislature, follows a similar lawsuit involving the Antiquities Act in Utah, in which Utah and others challenged President Biden’s restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. Both the Utah and Arizona lawsuits target monuments that were set aside to protect and honor Indigenous cultural sites, along with important archaeological and ecological features, and were filed despite strong Tribal support for the designations. The federal court in Utah dismissed the case last year, and it is now on appeal. 

“For more than a century, the Antiquities Act has preserved some of the most treasured and iconic landscapes in the country, including the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument,” said Sandy Bahr, director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “This lawsuit from Arizona legislators is an attack on a monument promoted by and supported by at least 14 Tribal nations and is just the latest in a series of attacks by big industry and its enablers to undercut the Antiquities Act and sell off public lands to the highest bidder. Presidents from both sides of the aisle have used the act to protect our historical and cultural heritage, and we will keep working to defend these landscapes for future generations.”

In 1920, the Supreme Court upheld President Teddy Roosevelt’s use of the Antiquities Act to protect 800,000 acres in Arizona when he declared the Grand Canyon a national monument. Presidents since have on many occasions designated monuments of a million acres or more. Courts have consistently found that culturally and scientifically rich landscapes, even large ones, are eligible for protection under the Act. In their motion to intervene, the conservation groups signaled their opposition to Utah’s erroneous claim that a president can designate only small monuments centered on specific sites.

“These lawsuits by the Arizona legislature and others seeking to overturn President Biden’s declaration of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument represent yet another misguided attack on the Antiquities Act of 1906,” said Sara Husby, executive director for Great Old Broads for Wilderness. “Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni was lawfully created to honor Indigenous cultural sites—along with important archaeological and ecological features—and protect them from uranium mining and other threats. Great Old Broads for Wilderness is proud to work in support of the Tribal and Indigenous community in defense of both Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni and the Antiquities Act as a whole.” 

“This case is yet another attack on the Antiquities Act at the behest of extractive industries and anti-federal government groups. It’s disappointing that state officials keep trying to prevent the federal government from managing federal lands in a way that protects sacred Indigenous sites, one-of-a-kind ecosystems, and other cherished public resources,” said Tom Delehanty, senior associate attorney with Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office. “The Supreme Court has recognized for a hundred years that the Antiquities Act gives the president broad authority to protect important sites and landscapes. We’ll continue to fight these meritless lawsuits to ensure our most special places are protected for future generations.” 

“The leadership of the state legislature is defying the interests of Arizonans, who widely support the use of the Antiquities Act to protect the irreplaceable Native cultural sites and unique ecosystems of the greater Grand Canyon,” said Chris Krupp, public lands attorney with WildEarth Guardians. “The leaders of the Arizona House and Senate would rather carry water for the mining and grazing industries that fund their political campaigns than listen to the people of Arizona.” 

“Baaj Nwaavjo is a textbook example of what Congress intended to achieve through the Antiquities Act. Despite decades of extraction and unchecked mining pollution, there are over 3,000 known cultural and historical sites within the protected lands. The monument’s unique hydrological features also give scientists insights into the formation of the Grand Canyon,” said Jackie Iwata, staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Just as the Supreme Court affirmed the Grand Canyon’s designation as a monument a century ago, there is no question that the president can and should protect these resources from further spoliation today.”

“A decade in the making and with resounding Tribal and public support, this monument protects not just a landscape, but a legacy – a tapestry of red rock canyons, irreplaceable waterways, and cultural and historic sites sacred to many Tribal Nations,” said Sanober Mirza, Arizona program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). “The Antiquities Act has been a bedrock conservation law for over a century, protecting cultural and historic treasures and iconic landmarks like Grand Canyon National Park. With the courts repeatedly affirming its authority, we are proud to defend Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.”

“Without the Antiquities Act, our public lands would look starkly different, especially here in Arizona, where the landscape is layered with cultural, natural, and historic resources,” said Mike Quigley, Arizona state director with The Wilderness Society. “Protecting and preserving the ancestral lands of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is widely supported: a recent poll showed 86% of Arizonans support presidents continuing to use their ability to protect existing public lands as national monuments.”

Earthjustice is representing the Center for Biological Diversity, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians and Wild Arizona in the intervention. The Grand Canyon Trust and NRDC are co-counseling with Earthjustice and representing themselves. 

Media requests on the Tribes’ efforts can be directed to media@narf.org.

Photos are available here.  

The post conservation groups defend Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument, Antiquities Act appeared first on Wild Arizona.

For more information contact: Kelly Burke, 928-606-7870, kelly@wildarizona.org
BLM needs to act quickly to implement the rule and protect healthy communities, wildlife, and cultural values

Photos for Media Use

April 18, 2024 (Phoenix) – After prioritizing extractive industries for the past 40 years, today the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its final “Public Lands Rule” to balance and uphold its multiple-use mission. The Biden administration’s bold, comprehensive framework places cultural lands protection, conservation, access to nature, wildlife, and climate change mitigation on equal footing with industrial development across the West. Lawmakers, local officials, recreationists, conservationists, and Tribal nations throughout Arizona are celebrating this once-in-a-generation opportunity for local collaboration with the agency to address intensifying drought, wildfires, and other threats to public lands and waters.

“Arizona’s public lands are defining and iconic, home to culturally significant areas that have been home to Indigenous people since time immemorial,” said Sandy Bahr, the Grand Canyon Chapter Director of the Sierra Club. “They provide vital habitat that must be protected from the threat of mining and development. The Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule is overdue and urgently needed to restore and strengthen these treasured landscapes for the health of our communities, the deep connections from the numerous Tribes in Arizona and elsewhere, the plants and animals that are part of this amazing landscape, and the planet.”

The BLM oversees nearly 40 percent of U.S. public lands (245 million acres), including 12 million acres of vitally important deserts, woodlands, and critical watersheds that provide clean drinking water and fresh air, wildlife habitat, destinations for outdoor recreation, and hold innumerable cultural sites and areas valued by Indigenous communities in Arizona. Sadly, for decades only 12 percent of the lands managed by the BLM in Arizona have been protected for their outstanding conservation values. All of these lands – as well as the plants and animals that depend on them – are at risk from extreme weather events that are causing rapid changes in Arizona and across the West. The BLM’s new rule will help Arizonans adapt to these challenges by providing the agency and local communities with fiscally responsible management tools, such as applying land-health standards and strengthening existing conservation options. Co-stewardship and co-management with Tribal nations who have cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial are also crucial to the success of the rule.

“The Bureau of Land Management oversees more than 12 million acres of public land in Arizona, but half of these lands fail to meet rangeland health standards because they’ve been degraded by drought, wildfire, invasive species, and other impacts from climate change. The new public lands rule gives the agency the tools it needs to restore these degraded ecosystems so that the wildlife, outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, and rural communities—that depend on healthy public lands—can thrive for generations to come,” added Scott Garlid, Executive Director, Arizona Wildlife Federation.

This new direction is widely popular. During the BLM’s 2023 public process, more than 90 percent of comments were in favor of elevating conservation for a more balanced approach to public land management. This support for more conservation is aligned  with Arizonans’ opinions. In a 2021 Gallup poll in partnership with the Center for the Future of Arizona, 92 percent of Arizonans said it was a priority to protect and preserve Arizona’s rivers, natural areas, and wildlife. Additionally the 2023 Colorado College State of the Rockies poll found 86 percent of Arizonans said they support a national goal of conserving 30 percent of America’s land and waters by 2030.  

Erica Prather from WildEarth Guardians, said “Protecting our public lands is one of the cornerstones of mitigating the climate crises and securing our watersheds. We’re excited to work with local BLM officials to implement the conservation measures that lie ahead with this new rule.” 

Conservation groups, local lawmakers, Tribal leaders, and the recreation community are urging the Biden administration to get to work on the ground implementing the agency’s new balanced management approach. Management plans for the sprawling Kingman and Safford Field Offices’ (covering 3.8 million acres of public land) have not been updated in 30 years. These outdated plans must be revised, and conservation must be a priority if the BLM is going to meet the challenges of the climate and biodiversity crises we are facing. The BLM has identified over 2 million acres of land across Arizona that should be administratively protected – places like Burro Creek, the Aquarius Mountains, and the Hassayampa River – that local communities cherish. Despite these areas being identified for conservation, the agency has failed to take any meaningful steps towards protecting them.

“This Public Lands Rule provides clear guidance to the Bureau of Land Management that conservation should receive the same level of attention as extractive uses,” said Mike Quigley, Arizona State Director, The Wilderness Society. “Arizonans treasure our public lands for recreation, connecting with family and friends, wildlife watching, and many other conservation-dependent activities; this Rule will provide mechanisms for Arizonans’ voices to be heard and acted upon in land use planning.” 

Not only is the new Public Lands Rule critical to Arizona’s environment it’s also vitally important for the state’s economy. Arizona’s $21 billion annual outdoor recreation economy is dependent upon access to protected wild landscapes, and the state’s iconic trails, wildlife areas, and rivers –  like the San Pedro River and the De Anza Trail – which are on lands managed by the BLM. The Public Lands Rule will provide communities and local BLM managers the tools they need to ensure the future of these economically important places.

“In Arizona, outdoor recreation contributes four times the economic benefit of mining, and over twenty times the benefit of ranching, and it’s about time the BLM truly embraced its multiple-uses mandate by prioritizing the resources that are vital to the Grand Canyon State,” said Arizona Trail Association executive director Matthew Nelson. “But even more important than the economic benefits of outdoor recreation are the improved quality of life that comes from time spent in these wild places. The conservation of our public lands is vital to our way of life, and necessary for our health, wellness, and future.”

Lisa M Lamberson, owner of Mountain Sports Flagstaff and Co-owner of Bright Side Bookshop in Arizona said, “The BLM’s Public Land Rule will ensure that the agency brings their management of public lands across Arizona and the West into balance. The rule puts conservation on equal footing with other uses, improving BLM planning and management. I’m thrilled that the BLM will manage for resilient ecosystems, which includes protecting intact landscapes and land health.” 

Arizona’s members of Congress have championed greater protections for BLM lands across the state. Rep. Raúl Grijalva joined nearly four dozen members of Congress voicing support for the rule in a letter to Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland. Local officials joined more than 120 past and present western elected officials calling for additional protection of lands managed by the BLM.     

Betsy Harter, Associate of Sustainability at Kahtoola, Inc. said, “Kahtoola stands in support of the BLM’s new Public Lands Rule. Putting conservation on equal footing with other land uses is not just the ethical thing to do, but it comes at a time where the stakes are high and our decisions on how we interact with the planet are extremely consequential. This balanced approach to decision-making is crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainability of our nation’s public lands for generations to come.”

Arizonans have been pushing for changes to BLM land management for years – hoping to encourage a more balanced approach that ensures conservation. In November of 2022, leading national conservation organizations active in Arizona signed on to a public call to support new BLM guidance on “habitat connectivity on public lands,” and in September of 2022, a coalition of Arizona conservation organizations wrote to the BLM State Director to support BLM’s authority to protect Arizona’s most valuable wildlands. Conservation advocates hope the new rule will ensure a more balanced approach to management.

“Today’s announcement will bring much needed balance to the BLM’s management of public lands across Arizona,” said Kelly Burke, Executive Director of Wild Arizona. “Local communities on the ground across our state have worked for years to shift the BLM’s management to focus more on conservation and protection of our water, wildlands, wildlife corridors, and cultural resources. After almost 50 years of inattention, the Biden Administration and BLM deserve a lot of credit for finally putting conservation, recreation and cultural resource protection on equal footing with other uses.”     

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As 2023 comes to a close, it’s time for us at Wild Arizona to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve had throughout this remarkable year. The historic triumphs and transformative challenges that filled 2023 orbited one constant—the unwavering and enthusiastic support we’ve received from our volunteers, followers, and donors. We first want to pause and express our deepest gratitude to all those who have contributed, in a myriad of ways, to support our initiatives and campaigns. In 2023, we’ve come together as a vibrant community to help move forward enduring protections; riparian restoration; and wilderness and trail stewardship projects, for Arizona’s gorgeous wild landscapes, natural waters, wildlife, and Native ancestral homelands.

This last week of December also marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, reminding us that the dynamic vitality of intact webs of life in natural habitats is increasingly threatened. In a time of accelerating loss and public division, the ESA stands as a beacon of hope and shared responsibility for life on Earth our one living planet. Enacted to safeguard our nation’s most vulnerable flora and fauna, this crucial legislation points to preservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage as not merely an option but imperative for a sustainable future, and as our most effective and just means to stabilize climate. The Endangered Species Act compels us to act with foresight and compassion for the natural world, recognizing that the health of our environment is inseparable from our own well-being, and that by this pathway we are securing a legacy of beauty and diversity for all generations.

Acknowledging the impact:

Our success is not just measured by the projects we undertake but by the collective impact we have achieved together. A big thank you goes out to the generous contributions and unwavering efforts of our supporters and crews. We have been able to make significant strides in preserving the natural beauty of Arizona. Whether it’s the restoration of ecosystems, the protections of endangered species, or the creation of spaces that foster a sense of community through the outdoors, every action taken this year has left a lasting imprint on the landscapes we hold dear.

A Special Thanks to Our Followers:

To our followers, who engage with our content, spread awareness, and amplify our message-your dedication is the heartbeat of Wild Arizona. Your enthusiasm and commitment inspire us to continue our mission with renewed vigor. We appreciate every like, share, and comment that helps us reach a wilder audience and create a stronger community united by the love for Arizona’s wild places.

Celebrating our donors:

To our generous donors, your financial support has been the fuel propelling our initiatives forward. Your belief in our vision and commitment to preserving the natural wonders of Arizona have allowed us to embark on ambitious projects that make a real difference. Whether through one-time contributions or ongoing support, your investment in the future of our landscapes is truly invaluable.

As we are about to step into a new year, our commitment to the conservation of Arizona’s wild and native landscapes remains steadfast. With your continued support, we aim to undertake even more ambitious projects, engage in meaningful community initiatives, and be at the forefront of the continued progress for a sustainable and thriving Arizona.

We are beyond grateful for each and every one of you who have been a part of the Wild Arizona family in 2023. Your love, dedication and support are the forces behind our successes. Let’s continue to work hand in hand, ensuring that the beauty and biodiversity of Arizona’s wild spaces endure for generations to come. Lastly, please join in and support us in 2024, another year full of urgent opportunities to save the humpback chub and beaches downriver along the Colorado River in Glen Canyon and Grand Canyon, keep Colorado River flows high enough through the Grand Canyon to sustain the Colorado River Ecosystem, seek landscape-scale protections for the amazing Sky Islands, and call for Wild and Scenic River designation to preserve the treasured upper Verde River. Thank you again for an incredible year, and cheers to a future filled with even greater achievements in conservation and community!

Check out some of our Wild Stew project locations and accomplishments in this End of Year Presentation.

The post celebrating a year of historic conservation wins and a wilder future! appeared first on Wild Arizona.

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take action.

click the Bigcat pawprint to protect Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni —Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Recently, the new Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum released a directive to reassess all national monuments—including Arizona’s Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon—with the goal of opening them up for oil, gas and mining speculation. If these protections are lost, it could mean irreversible damage to the Canyon’s rimlands, including water loss and contamination, and the destruction of sacred Tribal lands.

Stand with us. Sign the petition to keep our national monuments intact.

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Grand Canyon is so much more than an ‘attraction’.

It’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders, a UNESCO World Heritage site, homeland to Indigenous communities, and a vast intricate complex of unique ecosystems, all its own. Each year, the Grand Canyon draws more than 6 million visitors and generates over $900 million for the local economy. While experiencing the Grand Canyon might make you feel small and transitory, you can help to preserve the legacy of its wildness in a big way.

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https://youtu.be/Gt2Fr6wP8LQ

Wild Arizona thanks the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, diverse community leaders, outdoor businesses, elected officials, veterans, and and conservation supporters for over two decades of persistent effort to gain the enduring protection for these amazing lands as Arizona’s newest national monument.

The post these rims are forever (everyone)…safeguard the Grand Canyon. appeared first on Wild Arizona.

For Immediate Release, April 17, 2023
Contact: Kelly Burke, (928) 606-7870, kelly@wildarizona.org
Ben Reeder, (801) 860-1070, benreeder33@gmail.com
Jim Strogen, (480) 242-2569 jimstrog@gmail.com

(photos courtesy GCRG Adopt-A-Beach Program)

Recreation and Conservation Stakeholders applaud Reclamation Decision to Release First Springtime High Flow since 2008, to Benefit the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona— Wild Arizona’s Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, Grand Canyon River Guides, and Trout Unlimited proclaimed full support today, of the Bureau of Reclamation’s determination to proceed with a Spring High Flow Experiment in late April. This will be the first springtime high flow release from Glen Canyon Dam since 2008 to restore sandbars and shoreline habitats along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.

For the past 60 years, Glen Canyon Dam has captured and held Colorado River sand in Lake Powell upstream from Grand Canyon. Fine sediments for sandbars and shoreline habitats in upper Grand Canyon are now primarily carried into the Colorado mainstem by the Paria River, below Lees Ferry where boats launch for river trips downstream and fishing trips upstream in Glen Canyon.

Occasional high flow events (HFEs) are needed to keep these iconic beaches and river habitats from dwindling away. In keeping with the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act and to rectify these erosion losses, the Secretary of the Interior directs the Bureau of Reclamation to release occasional planned flood flows when sufficient Paria River sediments accumulate in the mainstream channel.

However, as Wayne Pullan, the Secretary of the Interior’s Adaptive Management Program Designee stated in the decision memo authorizing this month’s HFE that, under the 2016 dam management plan, ‘HFEs were predicted to be conducted frequently (~3 out of every 4 years) and it has been four years since the most recent HFE was triggered and implemented (fall 2018), and no spring HFEs have yet to be triggered.’

“Under periods of generally higher dam releases, Paria River sand is quickly flushed downstream, necessitating November HFEs to move sand provided during the summer, up higher onto the beaches,” said Dr. Larry Stevens, senior ecologist for Wild Arizona’s Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, “but with ongoing drought and low release conditions conserving the sand, we have this opportunity to conduct an HFE in springtime, the natural time for such flows and when they are likely to be most appropriate for native fish and wildlife species. In addition, springtime HFEs should provide improved sandbars for summertime river running.”

Kelly Burke, the Council’s director, stated: “this is an important experiment, one that will inform future Colorado River and dam management by providing insight into seasonally-appropriate high flow design, habitat restoration, and aquatic foodbase and native fish spawning responses.”

Due to the wet 2022-2023 winter, this planned HFE will be a preemptive effort to rebuild beaches and thus conserve sand supplies during anticipated erosive high flows through this upcoming summer.
The camping beaches and sandbars in Grand Canyon that are used by over 25,000 river runners each year have not been rebuilt since the last High Flow Experiment (HFE) in fall of 2018.

“The last two summers we have witnessed the unraveling of sandbars in Grand Canyon as an effect of violent monsoon patterns,” observed Ben Reeder, professional river guide and GCDAMP Technical Workgroup representative for GCRG. “The result has been the worst beach conditions downriver in 20 years. Not only does this detract from the quality of a river trip, it also signifies a declining ecosystem. This action shows that adaptive management is possible – even under the pressures of drought management, water, and power obligations. The balance found here is encouraging!”

According to Lynn Hamilton, GCRG’s Executive Director, “the decision to implement a naturally timed spring HFE represents a huge step forward in our learning as well as our ability to protect and improve downstream resources in keeping with the mandates of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992.”

Despite the expected reprieve brought by substantial snowfalls this year and the resultant filling of upstream reservoirs, dire conditions still face the Colorado River below Lake Powell. The lake was recently at 22% capacity and the dam was close to being unable to generate power. The water coming into the river from the lake had warmed to the point of threatening the rainbow trout fishery below the dam that depends on cold water. 

These higher release temperatures also provide suitable habitat and rearing conditions for warmwater and cool water predators that will endanger the native fish downstream. The lower lake levels put these warm and cool water fish in Lake Powell perilously close to the penstocks where their release through the dam into the river below further endangers the trout fishery and the protected native fish downstream. 
   
“We have long sought the inclusion of more spring HFEs in the LTEMP process for recharging sediment to the river,” said Jim Strogen, Adaptive Management Workgroup representative for Trout Unlimited. “The timing of spring high flows is much more in keeping with the natural occurrence of flows historically in the Colorado River, and we believe will provide greater biological benefits than fall HFEs. We value the replenishment of the beaches that have been in need of recharging due to the impact of flash floods  and the lack of HFEs for quite some time. While the predicted water conditions, due to favorable snowmelt, will help us this year, we must continue to find ways to conserve water and be prepared to implement strategies to protect the river and its inhabitants when these harsher conditions return.” 

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Wild Arizona’s Grand Canyon Wildlands Council is dedicated to protecting and restoring the native species and natural ecosystems—the intricate web of life—along the Colorado River through Glen and Grand Canyons.

The post springtime high flow to benefit the Colorado River Ecosystem in Grand Canyon appeared first on Wild Arizona.

Act Wild 4.16.2023 : the Marble Platform, Jim Dublinsky Dear {{ FirstName | default: ‘Friend of WildAZ’ }}, In a historic event last Tuesday, the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition announced a campaign calling on President Biden to establish the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument using his Executive authority under the Antiquities Act. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” to the Havasupai, and I’tah Kukveni means “our footprints” for the Hopi. Today you have an opportunity to stand in support of the 12 Tribal Nations, and sign our petition urging the Biden Administration and the President to swiftly advance their proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukvani Grand Canyon National Monument. Tribal leaders have been fighting to protect the rimlands of Grand Canyon region from uranium mining threats for over a decade. The proposal for national monument designation would include 1,102,501 acres around and adjoining Grand Canyon National Park. These rimlands form an integral part of the Colorado River’s Grand Canyon watershed and are where traditional practices, cultural knowledge and spiritual ceremonies have taken place for millennia. SIGN THE PETITION PROTECT THESE LANDS The national monument designation would honor the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition Members’ deep cultural ties to the Grand Canyon and protect the area by making the temporary 20-year moratorium permanent, while also securing the cultural, natural, recreational, and scientific resources of the region. (photo by Kristen Caldon) Through the prevention of further uranium mining development and improved management of waters and forests, the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument designation would have the capacity to increase climate resilience by safeguarding the waters of the Colorado River in the context of acidification, reducing wildfire severity, limiting groundwater loss and disruption associated with uranium mining activities, and protecting unique biodiversity, including endangered California Condor and endemic and culturally important plants, from threats such as habitat loss and toxic pollution. Please join Wild Arizona and stand firmly as a supporter of the 12 Tribal Nations and their proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. In addition, we want to show our deepest and sincerest appreciation to all 12 Tribes for their courage, strength, and dedication as they continue the proud work of stewarding these lands, not just for themselves, but for all people and for generations to come. For the love of wildness, Kelly and the Wild Arizona crew ☞ If you’re in Flagstaff this lovely Sunday evening, join us at the       Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival! Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive Wild on Wednesday enews—updates and news about preserving wild lands, wild waters, wildlife, and wild connections across Arizona and beyond. Not every Wednesday, not always Wednesday. Know it. Love it. Protect it. | GIVE WILDLY | WILD Arizona – Tucson | Flagstaff Wild Stew | Grand Canyon Wildlands Council © 2023 wildarizona.org

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