We are writing to you about the importance of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona’s newest national monument. The unique Grand Canyon landscape is treasured by Arizonans and people across America and around the globe. The monument is also of cultural significance for regional tribes and the history of our nation. This monument designation was the culmination of years of effort by tribal and local leaders to protect the area for future generations.

The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument area includes distinctive and unique natural and cultural objects of historical significance that have long been recognized. In 1893, significant portions of the monument were designated as the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve. In 1908, President Roosevelt designated the deepest canyons as a monument. In 1919, Congress established Grand Canyon National Park from that earlier monument. This history shows that for over a century, federal officials have understood that this is a unique landscape worthy of protection.

Any action to diminish or remove protections opens the door to large scale industrial development with associated irreversible harm to springs, streams and precious aquifers, indigenous cultures, Arizona's outdoor recreation economy, and wildlife habitat and corridors of the Grand Canyon region.

Given the importance of the Monument to Tribal Nations and Communities, our economy, and immense public support, we ask that you ensure that Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument will remain intact for generations to come.