Just last month, US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland met with politicians, community leaders and members of the Grand Canyon Tribal Federation. They want the president to use the Antiquities Act to protect 1.1 million acres of the Grand Canyon region and watershed and make it a national monument. There are at least a dozen tribal and national heritage sites in the region.

Sandy Burr, director of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, said this would allow for a protective layer that would prohibit mineral activity.

“The driving force behind the establishment of this national monument is to protect the area from uranium mining, protect the watershed, and protect the area’s groundwater,” Barr explained.

Barr added that the designation will also help protect wildlife corridors and endangered species such as the California condor, Mexican spotted owl and Fickaizen Plains cactus.

The proposed national monument would surround Grand Canyon National Park. The request for the designation comes at what some have called a pivotal moment in the Biden administration’s pledge to prioritize relations with tribal states. Bahal said support from the Native American community, as well as local governments, are seeking certification.

“Flagstaff just passed a resolution to support it. Coconino County also passed a resolution to support it,” she said. “There’s a lot of support and building for this, and I think that’s what keeps me optimistic.”

But since 2008, there have been calls for the land adjacent to the Grand Canyon to be permanently protected. Grand Canyon Tribal Union We are currently collecting signatures for the petition.