FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A possible 1.1 million-acre monument designation in northern Arizona is being sought by Native American tribes and conservation organizations, but it has the potential to impact a significant number of Utah ranchers who can only access winter range within its boundaries.
"Although the national monument is located within the boundaries of Arizona, portions of the national monument will disproportionately affect ranchers in southern Utah by including a remote region of the state known as the Arizona Strip," wrote Ron Gibson, president of the Utah Farm Bureau. "The Arizona Strip is geographically separated from the rest of Arizona, is sparsely populated and is culturally tied to Utah.
The coalition includes the Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kaibab Paiute, Moapa Paiute, Las Vegas Paiutes, Paiute Tribe of Utah, the Navajo Nation, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the Pueblo Tribe of Zuni and the Colorado River Indian Tribes. The monument designation has the support of Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat who is now an independent from Arizona.
Washington and Kane counties are opposed to the monument designation, as is the community of Hildale.