The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final “Public Lands Rule” balances conservation alongside other public land uses like grazing, mining, oil and gas extraction, and the usage of solar and other renewables. This rule restores balance to the stewardship of our public lands, which all U.S. citizens are owners of, by giving equal standing to the conservation of these lands. The BLM manages over 245 million acres of public lands across the U.S., all of which support fish and wildlife species, safeguard cultural resources, and provide communities with energy and water, as well as recreational opportunities like hunting, hiking, and fishing.

To date, only 12 percent of the 12 million acres managed by the BLM in Arizona have been protected for their outstanding conservation values. “The new public lands rule gives the agency the tools it needs to restore degraded ecosystems so that the wildlife, outdoor recreation, and rural communities that depend on healthy public lands can thrive for generations to come,” says Scott Garlid, Executive Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation.

A critical piece of the BLM’s Public Lands Rule is the ability to lease lands for conservation and restoration. These restoration leases allow the BLM to lease acres for the purpose of restoring them in the same way a mineral lease would allow for mining. Michael Cravens, Advocacy and Conservation Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, explains, “A solar company could lease acres for restoration in order to mitigate the impact of the solar field, or a hunting organization could lease acres to remove invasive species in a big game migration corridor.”

The Arizona Wildlife Federation heartily supports these rule changes and thanks the BLM for their ongoing stewardship of our public lands and forward thinking with reasonable policies like the Public Lands Rule.

This Holiday is Rich With Arizonans’ Appreciation for Public Lands

On April 6th of this year, Arizonans across the state will be celebrating an important holiday: Arizona Public Lands Day! 

We celebrate Arizona Public Lands Day on the first Saturday of April each year. The bill creating the holiday was drafted in 2019 by a team of conservationists led by Brad Powell, the immediate Past President of the Arizona Wildlife Federation.

Arizona is home to over 30 million acres of public land, which accounts for nearly 50% of all Arizona land. These lands are open to the American public for outdoor recreation while also providing natural areas for our wildlife and native plant species. Arizonans regularly hike, hunt, fish, kayak, and bike through these lands — their importance for our connection to the great outdoors cannot be overstated.

Public lands are areas of land and water that are owned collectively by citizens and managed by government agencies. These lands include everything from city, state, and national parks to forest lands, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, National Monuments, and everything in between. 

This Saturday, we invite you to take part in the celebration of this important holiday — many free public events are happening that you can join! The Arizona Wildlife Federation is hosting its next All Afield Monthly Hike at South Mountain Park and Preserve and partnering with the Arizona Trail Association for the event. Chispa Arizona, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, and the Respect Great Bend coalition are hosting a public hike and picnic at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center. If you want the opportunity to give back to our public lands, Natural Restorations is teaming up with Pinal County Parks & Trails for a Peralta Road Cleanup.

Remember — these lands are your lands!

In Arizona, we used to brace for fire season, but those days are long gone as we now must be on high alert most of the year, and we are experiencing bigger and more intense fires as we try to adjust to the changing climate.

Our forests, which have always held a special place in the hearts of hunters like me, are facing an unprecedented vulnerability in this new reality.

In Arizona we are blessed with more than 12 million acres of national forest land which belongs to all of us. They provide us with a trove of benefits including clean drinking water, a wide variety of wildlife habitats, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and relief from our heavily urbanized cities. They also provide economic benefits and jobs, including fueling the outdoor recreation industry which has become increasingly important. especially in some of our rural areas.

These forests are increasingly at risk as each year we see more and more acreage impacted by high intensity wildfires. We are in a multi-decade drought, punctuated by occasional wet winters and/or summers, but the net effect is to have our forests drier for much longer periods.  As sportsmen we know that volunteers and the Arizona Game & Fish Department haul hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to remote wildlife water catchments which used to be filled regularly by rain and snowmelt. Our forests have the same long periods between moisture and have to be healthy enough to withstand these long dry periods.

Now, more than ever, we need to manage our forests actively to make them able to withstand the conditions we are facing. We need to use the best available science and be willing to adapt as we learn more or as the conditions continue to change. We also need to consider local knowledge – from Tribes, early settlers, long term observers. And we need to recognize that after major disturbances, like high intensity fires, we may not be able to restore them to their previous state but must gaze ahead and adopt proactive measures to ensure they continue to offer essential habitats for all the game we pursue and non-game animals alike.

Our forests need to include all ages of the trees, as well as a diversity of grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs underneath. In the Southwest, it takes much longer to grow trees to maturity and what we call old-growth than in many other regions of the country. In the past, our discussions about “protecting” old forests often leaned towards a hands-off approach, which still holds in some cases, e.g., legislated wilderness, However, in many others, proactive management is needed if we want them to persist in the face of our changing climate.

The Forest Service, as well as local leaders, realize the magnitude of the situation and its urgency.  Programs have been initiated, but far more is needed. The recent Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act included multi-year funding for the Forest Service and other land management agencies to accelerate preventive actions. In spite of the infusion of large amounts of money, the Forest Service does not have the staff to do it alone. To support this work, a number of partnerships have developed. For example, in the Flagstaff area The Nature Conservancy is a collaborator. In the C.C. Cragin (Blue Ridge) reservoir watershed within the Coconino National Forest, a major cooperative effort to reduce wildfire risk includes the Salt River Project, Town of Payson, and Bureau of Reclamation. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is a major participant in the implementation.

As the Forest Service and their partners work toward increasing forest health there are inconveniences – smoke from prescribed and managed fires, areas temporarily closed due to ongoing logging or other treatments or fires in progress. Things are not always pretty right after treatments. The ground is blackened until succeeding rains bring back green grass or other vegetation. Occasional groups of trees can be seen where the fire got too hot and they will not survive but will provide some localized diversity.

We need a balanced, community-driven nationwide framework to ensure that our national forests are managed in a way that promotes climate resilience, enhances biodiversity, reduces the risk of mega-wildfires, and safeguards our precious, clean water sources. I hope my fellow sportsmen and women in Arizona will stand with me in supporting the U.S. Forest Service and others’ efforts to embrace climate-smart management policies, securing the health and vitality of our state's national forests for generations to come.

Loyd Barnett is a forester and hydrologist retired from the U.S. Forest Service and a board member of the Arizona Wildlife Federation. For the last 50 years he has had the privilege of living in northern Arizona and enjoys hunting, hiking, camping, and cutting firewood on the national forests.

Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) has been recently honored with generous support for its mission and programs from several outdoors recreation-oriented business partners and sponsors, including REI Co-op, Canyon Coolers, and Orvis Phoenix. In each case, AWF is  evolving layered and meaningful relationships with business partners that build upon the  federation model philosophy: “united we can achieve more than we can independently.” 

REI Co-op has awarded a grant to AWF’s Get Outdoors Arizona (GO AZ) Program – a coalition of nearly 70 businesses across Arizona who recognize the important linkage between strong conservation policies and vibrant economic opportunities. The grant will support growing coalition membership, educating members on current issues affecting Arizona’s public lands,  empowering members to participate in the advocacy process effectively, and facilitating networking opportunities that strategically bring stakeholders together.  

Founder and CEO of Canyon Coolers, Jason Costello, is a great example of a business owner engaged in protecting wild lands and wild waters – especially those of the Grand Canyon – that provide outdoor recreation opportunities critical to his business. Together with AWF staff members, Costello visited Washington D.C. on an advocacy mission in support of creating a  National Monument to protect the Grand Canyon from mining.  

In an op-ed to the Arizona Daily Sun on May 7, Costello writes: “Millions of people from Arizona and around the world visit northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon every year. In 2021 alone,  tourism related to the Grand Canyon National Park brought in $710 million and 4.5 million visitors to our state. Our brand, like many local businesses, is literally built around the beauty  and uniqueness of this area.” In addition to supporting Arizona Wildlife Federation’s advocacy efforts, Canyon Coolers has become an annual business sponsor of the organization. 

Orvis Phoenix presented the Arizona Wildlife Federation with the proceeds from its May  Giveback Days, welcome funding that will support programs as diverse as outdoors education for women, gardening for wildlife, a volunteer corps that regularly removes old fencing from 

remote areas on the landscape, and the advocacy ventures at the heart of AWF’s mission to conserve wildlife, public lands, and our access to them. Orvis’ National Flyfishing Podcast Host  Tom Rosenbauer recently teamed up with AWF’s Podcast Host Michael Cravens for a lively discussion of flyfishing and conservation to engage the sporting community: Arizona Wildlife Federation Podcast #39. 

As Arizona’s oldest conservation organization celebrating its 100th anniversary this year,  Arizona Wildlife Federation is well-versed in convening diverse stakeholders to protect wildlife and wild places. “AWF brings people together based on our common values around the importance of public lands, wildlife, and outdoor recreation”, explains AWF Executive Director  Scott Garlid. “We’re balanced and pragmatic in our advocacy, and we’re constantly expanding our reach to all individuals through our programs. It’s an honor and a privilege to receive the  trust and support of these business partners who share those values and see the importance of  our work.” 

The National Monument designation protects a place that is too precious to mine

Creation of the nearly 1-million-acre Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument will safeguard Indigenous communities, water supplies, wildlife populations, and outdoor recreation from harmful uranium mining. The Arizona Wildlife Federation applauds the Biden Administration for listening to and working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, conservation organizations, the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, Arizona businesses, community members, and Arizona residents to enact these long-overdue protections – and to uphold its commitments to free, prior, and informed consent and other legal obligation to the Tribes. The Tribal Coalition, which has shown tremendous knowledge and leadership in advocating for these reforms, includes representatives of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

"The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument protects water that is vital to the existence of wildlife, Indigenous communities, and 40 million other users downstream. This new designation also safeguards outdoor recreation activities so that future generations can continue to hunt, fish, hike, and raft on the lands and waters that surround this natural wonder,” said Scott Garlid, Executive Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, “We are grateful to the Biden Administration and Arizona’s Congressional delegation for creating a reasonable designation that assures the Grand Canyon watershed will be both protected and actively enjoyed."

“Generations of Indigenous Peoples and other residents of Arizona carry with them the mistakes of dangerous uranium mining. The creation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument cannot make them whole, but it will help spare future generations of people and wildlife from irreparable harm,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We will continue to work with the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and Biden Administration to steward this landscape and ensure it is managed for the benefit of people and wildlife alike.”

“The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is a sportsman’s paradise that supports a world-renowned mule deer herd,” said Michael Cravens, Advocacy and Conservation Director for the Arizona Wildlife Federation, “Therefore, protecting this region from the detrimental effects of uranium mining has been a long-term priority of the sporting community. Declaring this iconic landscape a National Monument, along with preserving access for sportsmen and women and keeping authority over wildlife management in the capable hands of our Arizona Game and Fish Department, not only successfully protects this region from the toxic effects of uranium mining but also preserves the imperative connection that people have to the land.”

How Monuments and Public Lands Strengthen Arizona’s Economy

Business coalition, Get Outdoors Arizona (GO AZ), held a roundtable discussion this past Thursday, August 3rd at Grand Canyon Brewery to talk about the proposed — and now designated as of August 8th by President Biden — Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, Arizona's public lands, and how they both can strengthen our local economies. Attendees included Patrice Horstman, Coconino County Supervisor; Amber Reimondo, Energy Director of the Grand Canyon Trust; Dr. Larry Stevens, River Guide and Director of the Springs Stewardship Institute; Jason Costello, owner of Canyon Coolers; Greg Reiff, River Guide in the Canyoneers; Shawn Frate, owner of Parks Feed and Mercantile.

“The Grand Canyon region is one of the largest drivers in Arizona’s $9.8 Billion outdoor recreation industry” said Michael Cravens, Advocacy and Conservation Director for the Arizona Wildlife Federation. “From rafting companies, to outdoor gear retailers, to gas stations and breweries, Arizona businesses of all types depend on this iconic landscape for their livelihoods.” 

Grand Canyon National Park alone pours $710 million into Arizona’s economy and draws in nearly 4.5 million annual visitors. But what about the public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon? They support our state’s outdoor recreation economy by adding well-paying jobs, strengthening communities, and keeping more money in Arizona. That’s why Arizona business owners have joined the call and are taking action.

The creation of the group, known as Get Outdoors Arizona (GOAZ), was spearheaded by the Arizona Wildlife Federation, which recognized the need for Arizona outdoor business leaders to come together to collectively ask lawmakers to support policies and actions that promote the state’s outdoor assets while protecting some of the state’s most important public landscapes.

For more information and a list of members, visit https://getoutdoorsaz.org/home.

Key Sources of Drinking Water, Flood Protection are Threatened as the Supreme Court Limits Powers of the Clean Water Act

Thousands of acres of wetlands and hundreds of miles of Arizona streams that ultimately provide clean drinking water to most Arizonans could lose critical protections after the Supreme Court decision today in the case, “Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency”.

As part of the ruling, 5 of the 9 Supreme Court justices agreed that the Clean Water Act only protects waters and wetlands with a continuous surface connection to Waters of the United States. With that definition, roughly half the nation’s streams and wetlands and a majority of Arizona’s streams and wetlands could now lose protection. For Arizonans, we must now grapple with the potential loss of protections for many of our wetlands and streams including both ephemeral and intermittent streams that flow after rain and year-round, respectively — as a result of this decision.

Those types of streams account for 79% of the total streams in Arizona that provide drinking water. The Clean Water Act is the reason that our waters cannot have toxic waste and sewage dumped into them. It is the reason that in Arizona, we have productive, healthy waterways, areas safe for fishing and swimming, and increased fish and fish-dependent populations like Arizona river otters. 

“Over the past five decades, the Clean Water Act has revitalized and protected the most vulnerable waters and wetlands of Arizona and across the U.S.,” said Scott Garlid, Arizona Wildlife Federation’s Executive Director. “These waterways act as the kidneys of larger rivers and lakes, filtering water and safeguarding the health and safety of millions of Arizonans. Now state and local agencies must step in to ensure our drinking water supplies, flood protection, and critical habitats are secure for future generations.”

New national monument would permanently protect the region from uranium mining and conserve important fish and wildlife habitat 

Arizona Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Today, 11 local Tribal Nations hosted a press conference in conjunction with Congressman Grijalva and Senator Sinema to call upon President Biden to establish our nation’s newest national monument, the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. 

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument would add long-sought and broadly supported protections for 1.1-million-acres of public land adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest, including a permanent ban on new uranium mining that would protect the watershed along the Colorado River from contamination. National monuments are a flexible type of designation, with proclamations often written to ensure continued state management of fish and wildlife and to provide for a variety of uses, including habitat improvements. The proposed 1.1-million-acre national monument includes both Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands. These agencies would continue to manage this landscape if designated a national monument.  

“Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument is broadly supported by Arizonans across party lines and has long been a priority for sportsmen and sportswomen in the state,” said Nathan Rees, Arizona Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. “Given the toxic history of uranium mining in this region, we commend the leadership of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition to enact the wishes of millions of people hoping to preserve the beauty of this idyllic landscape. We cannot undo the toxic history that's been left in this region, but we can prevent new contamination from destroying its future.” 

After multiple attempts to pass the Grand Canyon Protection Act in Congress, the legislation stalled in the Senate despite strong support from Arizona’s congressional delegation. The national monument proposal would swiftly add permanent protections to the Grand Canyon region, preventing further contamination of water supplies and ensuring quality hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations. 

“This is some of Arizona’s finest wildlife habitat and one of our nation’s most iconic landscapes, so permanent protection from uranium mining while prioritizing outdoor recreation and hunting is the right thing to do,” said Scott Garlid, Executive Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation. “Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument honors the perspectives of the tribal coalition, allows multiple uses and access, is consistent with management of the adjacent North Kaibab Game Preserve, and ultimately ensures that the area will be enjoyed by future generations.”

More than 500 abandoned uranium mines are scattered across the region, impacting the drinking water of local populations and seeping underground into the Colorado River and other bodies of water found miles away. In fact, a 2010 U.S. Geological Survey study found high-levels of uranium deposits in 15 springs and 5 wells across the region, prompting the 20-year moratorium on mining in the first place. 

Unfortunately, the moratorium has simply stopped new mines from coming online and hasn’t done anything to clean-up the hundreds still endangering the local population, millions of annual visitors, and some of the state’s best areas for trout fishing and big game hunting.  

“Going back to Teddy Roosevelt, this area has been recognized for its world-renowned mule deer herd,” said Terry Herndon, President of the Arizona Mule Deer Organization.  “We’re happy to see a monument designation that matches the existing withdrawal area, maintains the current management of the adjacent North Kaibab Game Preserve, and prioritizes access for wildlife management and the heritage of hunting in the area.” 

This region is also home to an active uranium mining operation, the Pinyon Plain Mine, which is located just miles from the entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. This mine has been allowed to continue operating even after they unexpectedly struck groundwater in 2016, creating the potential for contamination to spread far away from the site through the water table. Local wildlife has also been seen mistakenly identifying the mine’s contaminated retention pond as suitable drinking water and habitat.  

Between the hazards posed to local elk and deer populations – in addition to nearby Lees Ferry, which is home to Arizona’s premiere trout fishing – we once again urge President Biden to establish this national monument and commend the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition for their dedicated leadership on this issue.  

“Hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts come from a broad range of backgrounds across the political spectrum,” said Justin Nelson, Chairman of the Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. “The thing that ties us all together is the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Given the prodigious elk and mule deer hunting across the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument, codifying the existing mineral withdrawal under this designation is not only good for hunters, it also ensures certainty for the future of this region.” 

“Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument is a responsible approach given the history of uranium mining near the Grand Canyon,” said Alan Davis, President of Arizona Trout Unlimited. “It is unacceptable given the best science available and the known risks to our natural resources, the economy of Northern Arizona, and the communities that depend on Colorado River water that we continue to gamble with the future of Grand Canyon region. As sportsmen and sportswomen, we value multi-use of our public lands and insist on practical and science-based approaches to managing our natural resources.” 

Arizona Wildlife Federation and National Wildlife Federation

New bipartisan legislation in the Senate will dedicate up to $1.4 billion each year to locally-led efforts to prevent extinctions and help wildlife thrive for future generations. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will send roughly $31 million to Arizona each year.

“We are facing a looming wildlife crisis. This commonsense, cost-effective approach will allow us step in quickly to help at risk wildlife with collaborative measures,” said Scott Garlid, Executive Director of the Arizona Wildlife Federation. “This historic bill will create jobs and give the necessary support for at-risk native species like the Apache trout and Sonoran pronghorn.”  

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was introduced in the Senate by Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) with Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)

“America’s wildlife are in crisis, with roughly one-third of all species at elevated risk of disappearing from our backyards and the backcountry. The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is the solution we need to help people and wildlife alike thrive for future generations,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “This is the most important wildlife conservation legislation in half a century. Congress should pass this bill to secure our shared wildlife heritage before it’s too late.”

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will use the money to implement its existing Wildlife Action Plan, which identifies 531 species at risk in the state. 

Tribal Nations, such as the Havasupai Tribe, Navajo Nation, Tohono O'odham Nation, and many others, would receive up to $98 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts on the tens of millions of acres under Tribal management nationwide. 

Let's hold industry to the same standards we hold ourselves

Michael Cravens, AWF Advocacy and Conservation Director

I've been an outdoorsman my whole life. From as soon as I could walk, I was outside playing in the woods, exploring streams and rivers, and finding myself fascinated with all the wonderful wildlife that I encountered. As I grew older and began to fish and hunt, I learned that to truly appreciate and value wildlife is to conserve it. When I harvest a deer or elk, I do so with the intention of utilizing that animal in providing healthy meat for my family. When I bring home a turkey from the woods around my Flagstaff home, I know that I won't simply toss it away because I might not be in the mood to pluck it. The same values apply when I’m on the water. I do not keep every fish I am lucky enough to catch and am very careful that most are returned to the water in a robust and healthy condition. As a hunter and an angler, it is my responsibility to practice conservation and good judgment anytime I’m in the woods or on the water. These are the same values that I'm raising my children with and I hope that these values will guide them through the rest of their lives.

As a western public land hunter, I have often seen the flaring of wellheads all along the horizon in oil-producing states. This routine burning of natural gas is a source of frustration for me because it is so antithetical to the hunting mentality of not wasting a precious resource. Oil and gas companies routinely flare gas to protect equipment or to discard gas when they aren’t able to transport it. The energy industry views this gas as a waste product, but it is in fact a valuable resource that is being carelessly thrown away.

As a hunter, I am held to strict standards of conservation and waste reduction when it comes to the pursuit of game on public lands. So why are we allowing oil and gas companies to waste resources on those same lands? 

Wasting natural gas isn’t just unethical, it is dangerous. Methane leakage and flaring is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions – methane is 85 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. 

Thankfully, the current administration is taking steps to address this issue and stop these harmful practices. The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to update its rules on methane waste and while it is a good start, it needs to be stronger. The agency is proposing to increase the royalties charged for flared gas, but there is no evidence that this will actually reduce flaring. The companies are focused on profits for shareholders and it is often cheaper for them to pay the royalties than to invest in proper equipment and infrastructure to reduce waste.

The Environmental Protection Agency is also proposing stricter protections to limit methane pollution from existing and new facilities. This would include monitoring and repairing of methane leaks and a ban on flaring unless there is no feasible alternative.

We can no longer afford to waste valuable natural resources and contribute to the degradation of our environment. As hunters and anglers, we understand the importance of conservation and the responsible management of our natural resources. It is time for the oil and gas industry to take a cue from our responsible practices and for the current administration to use all of its tools to enact strong methane solutions that will benefit our country for generations to come.