by Raul Grijalva
It's not too dramatic to say the Grand Canyon has been under siege from mining claims for several years now. As I wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar May 4, there are at least 8,500 mining claims near the Canyon, up from the 100 claims on file in January of 2003. That's why June 20 was such a big day in the history of American conservation. In a ceremony I was proud to attend, Sec. Salazar said he will recommend withdrawing more than 1 million acres around the Canyon from mining claims for the next 20 years. It was, in every sense, a huge deal.
My
May 4 letter to Salazar was part of a years-long campaign by a number of very committed groups and individuals to make sure the crown jewel of our National Park system isn't sold out or polluted to make a buck. The public came through in a huge way for the Canyon at forums and in written comments. This isn't a victory for any one person or one group. It sounds hokey, but it's really true -- this was a victory for all of us.
Current law caps administrative land withdrawals at 20 years, and with this announcement, Sec. Salazar has done as much as he's able to do. I wholeheartedly support his decision. At the same time, I don't think we should have to revisit this issue in 20 years or 100 years. I've introduced bills every Congress since 2008 permanently to protect the area in question, which includes three sections of National Forest land that mining companies have eyed for years.The Grand Canyon is the furthest thing from a political football I can think of. It's not "on the table" or a "bargaining chip" -- it's one of the great wonders of the world, a beautiful and thought-provoking monument to the creative powers of nature. That's why I'm going to keep introducing my bill to protect the land in perpetuity.
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Sec. Salazar's
announcement surprised even those of us who have followed the issue for years. There were officially four options on the table, including allowing mining to go forward throughout the entire region. While we weren't expecting that outcome, we'd prepared for a split-the-difference withdrawal of 650,000 acres. The fact that he's extending the full available protection speaks volumes about the importance of the Canyon itself and about the potential threats it faces.
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