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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
Grand Canyon Footprints monument; repeal
Purpose
Urges the President of the United States to rescind or revoke the designation of the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument (Monument) and opposes such future designation in Arizona.
Background
Under the authority of the Antiquities Act and as a result of efforts from the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, on August 8, 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden established the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The Monument is managed by both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service and spans 917,618 acres and is the native home of 12 indigenous tribes (U.S. Forest Service).
The Monument encompasses portions of the Arizona Strip. The Grand Canyon isolates the Arizona Strip from the rest of Arizona, making it among the most remote and rugged public land in the contiguous United States (Arizona State University).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Urges the President of the United States to:
a) rescind or revoke the designation of the Monument;
b) oppose the designation of any future permanent federal land or mineral withdrawal that seeks to limit critical mineral, metal and aggregate mining, cattle grazing or multiple-use activities in the Arizona Strip; and
c) not designate any national monument, park, wildlife refuge, conservation area, area of critical environmental concern, wild and scenic river, wilderness or wilderness characteristic area or any other federal special use designation or land or mineral reservation or withdrawal in Arizona without having the express authorization of:
i) the U.S. Congress;
ii) the Legislature of the State of Arizona while in session; and
iii) the members of the county board of supervisors in each county that would be impacted by the designation, reservation or withdrawal.
2. Requests that the Secretary of State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the President of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and each member of the U.S. Congress from the State of Arizona.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
LARA 2/12/24 DP 5-4-0-0
3rd Read 2/28/24 31-28-0-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 12, 2024
RA/KP/slp