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.  

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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.

Wild Arizona and Kahtoola stand with Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition in call to protect traditional homelands on the Canyon’s Rimlands

For Immediate Release, April 11, 2023

Contacts: Kelly Burke, (928) 606-7870, kelly@wildarizona.org
Danny Giovale, (928) 853-3351, danny@kahtoola.com

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— In a historic event today, 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.

For more than a decade, tribal leaders have been fighting to protect the Grand Canyon region from uranium mining threats. The proposal for the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument would include 1,102,501 acres around and adjoining Grand Canyon National Park. These lands 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.

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 mining moratorium permanent, while also securing the cultural, natural, recreational, and scientific resources of the region. Twelve Tribal Nations who have called Grand Canyon their home since time immemorial, are unified in their bold efforts to continue the movement to permanently protect their traditional homelands under the Antiquities Act.

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 aridification, 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.

“Kahtoola stands firmly behind the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and their steadfast dedication to preserve, protect and steward the lands in and around the Grand Canyon area. As a local business that values indigenous heritage and perspectives, we support the tribal led coalition’s proposal to create this monument for the protection of the landscapes, waterways, wildlife, cultural values, clean water and respectful outdoor recreation. We strongly encourage the Biden administration to acknowledge the critical work of the Tribes, who are the original inhabitants and stewards of these lands through the President’s authority to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument,” said Danny Giovale, Founder/Owner, Kahtoola

“Wild Arizona offers deep thanks and our steadfast support to the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition for their monumental effort to safeguard the Grand Canyon and its rimlands, and acknowledges their many generations of stewardship and protection of the lands, waters and wildlife of this beloved region. The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument proposal shows the vision of regional Tribal leaders for the health and beauty of this living cultural landscape and its vital ecosystems, sacred Tribal lands and waters, and sustaining economic benefits, set against the devastating impacts of uranium mining. Wild Arizona urgently requests the Biden Administration to swiftly advance their historic proposal and ensure that the Grand Canyon’s cultural connections and natural legacy be preserved and healed to honor all generations: past, present and future” said Kelly Burke, Executive Director, Wild Arizona.

Today we stand together firmly as supporters 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.

The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition consists of leadership representatives of 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, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

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Wild Arizona is a statewide organization with nearly 3000 supporters/members working since 1979 to protect, unite, and restore wildlands and waters across Arizona and beyond. We pursue this mission for the enrichment and health of all generations and to ensure Arizona’s native plants and animals a lasting home in wild nature.

Kahtoola was founded on the idea that giving back is a responsibility we have as an outdoor business. And for over two decades, we’ve proudly invested in organizations that are making a real difference in the lives of others—organizations that inspire us and that share our core values around preserving Indigenous cultures, building outdoor community and protecting our environment.

• Download this press release as a PDF.

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the global movement to rescue biodiversity and slow the climate crisis begins with you and me.

“One word: Poetry. That’s what the world has to offer us. A whole series of mysteries, of possible discoveries, of phenomena, of unexpected events, and objects, and things, and living organisms and so on. An infinitude, almost, on this planet, waiting out there to be enjoyed.”

–E.O. Wilson

In 2015, my conservation mentor and dear friend Michael Soulé invited me to Washington, D.C. to sit down with international conservation scientists and leaders, and tackle a strategy to save our wild family and our only home, the natural world. Renowned Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson was just about to publish his seminal book Half Earth and wildlife scientist Eric Dinerstein of RESOLVE was intent on stemming the loss of animal and plant life that was tipping our planet toward collapsing ecosystems and the derailing of nature’s climate buffering responses. The story of extinctions was being lost to the narrative of climate change and renewable energy. Solve the climate with technological interventions and all the rest would fix itself was fast becoming the emerging paradigm.

For those of us bearing witness over our own lifetimes to the heart-wrenching fates of wild creatures—and notably, Indigenous peoples—all around us, and recognizing how we are all part of the same interwoven and interdependent tapestry of life, the larger problem was the cumulative loss of so many brightly colored strands of the fabric that holds us. The dynamics of feedback loops seemed to be unraveling even the larger framework of physical processes like fire, ice, ocean currents, springflow, weather. In a conceptual reversal of what ‘chaos theory’ had suggested, the butterfly no longer flapping its wings was changing the weather around the globe.

At the D.C. meeting the answer was simple and clear, however far it was from easy. Save every square inch of still wild nature and every living creature we possibly can over the ensuing 15 years and turbocharge the people-powered movement to do it, in the way that the climate movement was rising up globally. Half Earth, the science-based fifty percent metric, gave us the end goal. The year 2030 gave us a milepost to sight by. The call for thirty percent by 2030 has launched a now global movement, and a new Executive Order by President Biden — 30×30 is you and me, working together for a healthy planet!

“Protecting our important lands and waters is a top priority for our organization. Across Arizona, we have multiple wild areas that should be considered for protection to reach 30×30. Protecting landscapes like the iconic Grand Canyon, the culturally significant Great Bend of the Gila, and the ecologically unique “Sky Islands” of southern Arizona will create landscape connections across the state, critical to sustaining our diverse wildlife, peoples, and economy for generations to come.”

—Kelly Burke, Wild Arizona’s executive director, responding to the recent release of the Biden administration’s ‘America the Beautiful’ report.

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