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Legislation Introduced to Protect Great Bend of the Gila
Conservation Lands Foundation
|August 02, 2024
CONSERVATION LANDS FOUNDATION APPLAUDS ARIZONA REPRESENTATIVE RAÚL GRIJALVA FOR INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THE GREAT BEND OF THE GILA
Albuquerque, New Mexico — As the only non-profit organization solely focused on protecting the public’s access to lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Conservation Lands Foundation cheered U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva’s introduction of legislation to protect the Great Bend of the Gila in southwest Arizona.
Statement from Romir Lahiri, Associate Program Director for the Conservation Lands Foundation:
“The Conservation Lands Foundation expresses our sincere appreciation to Representative Grijalva and all of the bill’s cosponsors for listening to local Tribes and communities by introducing legislation to protect the Great Bend of the Gila in southwest Arizona.
“We applaud Representative Grijalva’s ongoing commitment to protecting public lands and waters in Arizona that are vital to Indigenous connections, local communities, outdoor recreation access and wildlife.
“The legislation will protect approximately 375,000 acres of public land in the river valley and surrounding desert between the cities of Phoenix and Yuma, which has been home to Indigenous peoples for millennia. At least 13 federally recognized Tribes have cultural, historical, and ancestral ties to the Great Bend of the Gila, and these ties live on through oral and written history, story, song, ceremony, pilgrimage, and other traditions and ways of knowing.
“Permanent protection of the Great Bend of the Gila will preserve this landscape’s irreplaceable cultural, historic and natural resources for the enjoyment and benefits of future generations.
“Representative Grijalva’s bill illustrates strong community support and, recognizing the unreliability of the Congressional process, we urge President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate this national monument quickly. Designating the Great Bend of the Gila as a National Monument would cement President Biden's conservation legacy as protecting more public land through the Antiquities Act than any other president during their first term.”
People can add their voices in support by visiting RespectGreatBend.org.
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About Conservation Lands Foundation
We’re the only nonprofit leading a national movement of community-based advocates who care for America’s NATIONAL CONSERVATION LANDS of natural, historical, cultural and recreational significance.
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Conservation Lands Foundation published this page in Latest News 2024-08-02 10:01:31 -0600
