It has a long name: Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Mounment, or Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni in native languages, a million acres containing numerous native cultural heritage sites in Arizona. The region has been the site of uranium mining in the past. Mining has been restricted, but the restrictions are set to expire in 2032. The new designation will make them permanent. This is the fifth monument declaration of Biden's administration. Native Americans consider the site to be sacred. The Uranium Mining Association said the designation was unwarranted, and a Repugnant spokesperson said Biden's administration lack of reason "knows no bounds". The administration said the designation comprises only 1.3% of the nation's known uranium reserves. Mining claims pre-dating 2012 when the moratorium went into effect will be allowed to operate.
The formal announcement is expected to take place Tuesday in Arizona by Biden and is part of a public relations campaign in the west to increase awareness of Biden's climate and environmental actions. Young voters appear to be disastisfied with his administration's performance on climate matters. Arizona also has a large segment of Native American voters. Many conservationists will find it hard to forgive the administration for the approval of the Willow Project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve earlier this year. Only three US presidents did not use the Antiquities Act to create national monuments: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush.
