Mar.13.2021
Originally established to conserve and preserve some of the most beautiful and unusual wilderness places in America, the National Park System soon grew to include archaeological and historic sites. The first park to preserve âthe works of men,â as President Theodore Roosevelt put it, was Mesa Verde, established in 1906. Others followed, preserving and showcasing ancient ruins and archaeological sites throughout the country. Most of them are in the Southwest. And for good reason.
People of the Southwest built their homes and cities in stone, carving them in soft sandstone crevices or building structures up to four stories high from clay and mud bricks. In the bone-dry environment of the desert, these ancient structures baked in the sun but stayed preserved. Visible for miles in the wide-open spaces, they were easy to find, and as settlers moved into the area, they started visiting them with no regard to their preservation. Vandalism threatened to destroy stru
House OKs bill to ban mining on 1 million acres around Grand Canyon insidetucsonbusiness.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insidetucsonbusiness.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
House OKs bill to ban mining on 1 million acres around Grand Canyon
Julie Jacobson/AP
FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2013 file photo, the Grand Canyon National Park is covered in the morning sunlight as seen from a helicopter near Tusayan, Ariz. An attorney for Grand Canyon superintendent Christine Lehnertz says her future at the national park is up in the air. Kevin Evans said Tuesday, March 5, 2019, that he advised Lehnertz not to return immediately to the Grand Canyon after she was cleared of accusations and fully exonerated in a federal investigation. Evans says he s negotiating her employment status with the National Park Service but would not go into detail. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
The House voted Friday to permanently ban new mining claims on more than 1 million acres around Grand Canyon National Park, with supporters calling protection of the landmark canyon a "moral issue."
NPCA shared the following letter with members of the House of Representives ahead of an anticipated floor vote scheduled for February 26th.
We write to share our support for H.R. 803, Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, as well as positions on specific amendments, ahead of an anticipated floor vote scheduled for February 26th, 2021.
NPCA supports the passage of this visionary legislation that ensures long term protection for the Grand Canyon as well as nearly 1.5 million acres of wilderness and more than 1,000 river miles of National Wild and Scenic Rivers System across the West. H.R. 803 presents an incredible opportunity to protect cultural and natural resources in critical park landscapes. The following titles to the bill would specifically enhance national parks: