Rep. Grijalva and co-sponsors introduce legislation to protect the Great Bend of the Gila
Great Bend of the Gila, AZ
Dawn Kish
Arizona Tribes would co-steward cultural monument in the Sonoran Desert
Today, Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), joined by co-sponsors Jared Huffman (CA), André Carson (IN), Melanie Stansbury (NM), Dina Titus (NV), Earl Blumenauer (OR), and Joe Neguse (CO), introduced the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act to permanently protect a stretch of the Gila River Valley and surrounding desert between Phoenix and Yuma, an area that’s home to one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in the country.
The Tribally supported monument would honor 13 Tribes’ cultural connections to the land; preserve remaining open space amid expanding development in the West Valley; protect critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors; and safeguard outdoor recreation spots that help support the region’s economy. Notably, the bill includes the creation of a Tribal Commission that would co-steward the 350,000-acre monument alongside federal agencies and incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the management plan.
In response to the legislation, Mike Quigley, Arizona State Director of The Wilderness Society, said:
“We commend Representative Grijalva’s long-standing efforts to permanently protect the Great Bend of the Gila and applaud the bill’s co-sponsors who support protecting this Sonoran landscape in Arizona. This region has shaped much of the Southwest’s history and heritage; a national monument—with significant Tribal consultation and engagement—will safeguard this landscape for future generations.”
Tribes, local communities, business owners, faith leaders, archaeologists, veterans, conservationists, and elected officials support the monument proposal, with protection efforts starting as early as the 1930s. Those efforts are more urgent than ever because of increased development and recreational pressures from rapidly growing Phoenix and West Valley communities. If the new bill doesn’t pass, it would be up to President Biden, or the next President, to designate a national monument using their authority under the Antiquities Act. Conservation of public lands enjoys widespread public support in the state, with 87% of Arizonans backing the creation of new national monuments, among other designations, in a recent poll.
For more information:
CONTACT
Mike Quigley
Arizona State Director, The Wilderness Society
mike_quigley@tws.org / 520-334-8741
