Tourism and recreation, centered around the Grand Canyon, is a major economic driver for Coconino County and the region. Flagstaff and Coconino County are well known for some of the country’s finest outdoor recreation and activities, including hiking, biking, climbing and rafting. The national monument expands its focus on outdoors and recreation, further strengthening Coconino County’s tourism-based economy.

Headwaters Economics examined the economic impact of the enactment of a national monument. Let’s take a closer look at 17 of those regions. Headwaters Economics found that these regions are experiencing economic growth in key areas such as population, employment, real personal income and per capita income.

A study by Headwaters Economics showed that traditional exploitative occupations such as logging, mining and ranching did not decline over the same period. Uranium Mine and Employment: The still active Pinyon Plain (also known as the Canyon Uranium Mine) employs approximately 12 people. Tourism and outdoor recreation create thousands of jobs and add millions of dollars to Coconino County’s economy, but uranium mining is not the engine of Coconino County’s economy. Uranium mining is also not an economic driver for Arizona, given that the region’s potential uranium accounts for less than 2% of the nation’s uranium.

Most importantly, uranium mining poses a threat to the region’s fragile and important springs and water. Potential pollution is a risk for the indigenous people who call the canyon home. This is especially true for the Havasupai people who live at the base of the Grand Canyon.

The Navajo and Hopi tribes bear the brunt of a toxic legacy of hundreds of abandoned, unpurified uranium mines. On tribal lands, radioactive uranium mines are contaminating water and soil, and while many sites are still awaiting costly cleanup operations, local residents are suffering from long-term exposure to these hazardous sites. It continues to address harmful and deadly health effects.

There are still approximately 600 mining concessions on land around the Grand Canyon that could be activated if this land is not protected from uranium mining, so preserve this important cultural and natural area and protect uranium. It is important to protect against the negative effects of mining. .

Reserving this area for the Baji Nwabujo Ita Kukuveni Grand Canyon National Monument Area would improve the local economy, preserve important tribal cultural heritage, protect natural areas vital to recreation and tourism economy, Further pollution of the Colorado River would be prevented. plateau basin.

The Biden administration should designate the Baji Nwabjo Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument to protect the area from uranium mining while preserving existing uses such as grazing, timber harvesting and outdoor recreation.