Arizona Farm Bureau concerned with new national monument near Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — President Joe Biden continues his swing through the Southwest. He was in Utah on Wednesday after stopping in Arizona to designate a new national monument near the Grand Canyon. The move blocks new uranium mining on nearly a million acres of land around the canyon. It’s been applauded by many, including tribal nations, who’ve been asking for the land they consider sacred to be protected. However, the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation is upset the new designation could hurt its members’ livelihoods. “We are concerned about protecting those cultural areas, those culturally sensitive areas. But there are ways to protect those areas without designating over 900,000 acres as a national monument,” said Phil Bashaw, the CEO of AZFB.

Bashaw said farmers and ranchers living near the Grand Canyon have permits for their cattle to graze the land. Although the Biden Administration said these existing livestock grazing permits will be respected, Bashaw does not believe it’s guaranteed. “We still have concerns that as they develop the resource management plans and the travel management plans, that that will negatively impact our ability to utilize those allotments and manage those allotments to their full potential,” said Bashaw.

He said AZFB raised its concerns to the Bureau of Land Management and the White House but didn’t feel they really listened. “One of our concerns is the lack of public input from the folks that were out there. They had one public meeting that allowed the ranchers that own land around there to express their feelings for the monument designation,” said Bashaw.

Bashaw explained it’s more than just having cows feeding off the land. It’s about making sure ranchers and farmers will be allowed to access and maintain infrastructure such as roads and pipelines. “These allotments are the livelihood of these ranchers in this area, and anything that impedes their ability and increases cost and regulation, really puts barriers in place for conservation efforts they need to do to care for that land,” said Bashaw.

Arizona’s Family reached out to the Bureau of Land Management Arizona State Office. We’re told they are not available for an official comment but are working to receive approval from the White House to issue a response.

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