{"id":10282,"date":"2026-04-07T20:47:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=10282"},"modified":"2026-04-07T20:47:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:47:57","slug":"baaj-nwaavjo-itah-kukveni-safe-from-uranium-mining-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=10282","title":{"rendered":"Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni Safe From Uranium Mining For Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni, protecting nearly one million acres of sacred Indigenous land and critical wildlife habitat from extractive industries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Hack Canyon portal to Grand Canyon<!-- --> (Photo: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published April 7, 2026 01:14PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Outside the bounds of Grand Canyon National Park, one of our country\u2019s newest national monuments protects nearly 1 million acres of public lands filled with fascinating rock formations, endangered California condors, and access to the mighty Colorado River. That protection is once again safeguarded from uranium mining-related threats by a recent court victory that even involved the governor.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_self\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mygrandcanyonpark.com\/things-to-do\/neighboring-parks\/finding-hope-on-stolen-lands-new-national-monument\/\">Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni\u2014Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon<\/a> was established on August 8, 2023, by President Joe Biden to safeguard \u201cmyriad sensitive and distinctive resources that contribute to the Grand Canyon region\u2019s renown.\u201d The monument contains at least 3,000 cultural and historic sites, as well as diverse plant and animal species and breathtaking landscapes. The monument\u2019s designation was a hard-won victory by a coalition of Indigenous communities whose ancestral and current homelands were at risk from resource extraction. This included the Havasupai\u2014the people who still live amid the alluring turquoise waterfalls deep in the canyon\u2014who worried that contamination might affect their only water source.<\/p>\n<h2>The Legal Battle Over Uranium Mining<\/h2>\n<p>Like other national monuments throughout the country, however, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mygrandcanyonpark.com\/news\/baaj-nwaavjo-itah-kukveni-lawsuit-rejected\/\">Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni<\/a> has faced challenges to its existence. On February 3, 2026, the Arizona State Legislature, along with the County of Mohave, and the towns of Colorado City and Fredonia, sought to appeal the monument\u2019s designation in court. The groups alleged future injury from the loss of tax revenue from uranium mining, among other injuries. The national monument designation prohibited mining, mineral leasing, and geothermal leasing, though mining had already been prohibited under a 2012 ban that ran through 2032. The state of Arizona and Governor Katie Hobbs intervened as defendants, advocating for the monument\u2019s continued existence.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7668\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument sign\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1350\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7668\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mygrandcanyonpark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/651195965_18061669244400970_1761980832679838927_n.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mygrandcanyonpark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/651195965_18061669244400970_1761980832679838927_n.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument sign<\/span> (Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cArizona voters across the political spectrum have shown strong support for the national monument,\u201d Amber Reimondo, the energy director of Grand Canyon Trust, said in a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grandcanyontrust.org\/news\/grand-canyon-trust-statement-on-secretarial-order-3418-and-national-monument-review\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHere%20in%20Arizona%2C%20more%20than%20two%20thirds,Canyon%20National%20Monument%2C%20Arizona's%20newest%20national%20monument.\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On April 1, 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/appellate-courts\/ca9\/25-1370\/25-1370-2026-04-01.html\">rejected the lawsuit and upheld the monument\u2019s designation<\/a> on the grounds that future injury must be imminent, not speculative: Thus, allegations of <i>possible<\/i> future injury are not sufficient. The ruling cited unknown economic conditions in 2032, when the mining ban was set to end.<\/p>\n<p>While negative economic impacts are a common objection to the creation of national monuments, a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/headwaterseconomics.org\/public-lands\/economic-performance-national-monuments\/\">2026 report by the Montana-based research group Headwaters Economics<\/a>, which analyzed communities surrounding 30 large national monuments,\u00a0found that the designation does not disrupt local economies. In fact, the report found a slight increase in growth per capita income following a monument\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"fp-remove\" style=\"border:none;overflow-y:hidden;background-color:white;min-width:320px;max-width:420px;width:100%;height:420px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gaiagps.com\/public\/aXXCWSs5S7qShNlsovFgTIg3\/?embed=True\" seamless=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>The Future of the Grand Canyon\u2019s Ancestral Footprints<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThis is very much a victory,\u201d Reimondo said. \u201cIt\u2019s one challenge that has gone in favor of protecting public and sacred lands. But there are still threats out there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In February, the Arizona Legislature sent Congress a non-legally binding memorial asking it to streamline access to Arizona federal lands that agencies have put off-limits to mineral extraction. The memorial included Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni.<\/p>\n<p>Reimondo reminds Grand Canyon advocates that decision makers tend to have short memories. \u201cIf they don\u2019t hear consistent messaging, they deprioritize.\u201d Her suggestion for those who want to see Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_self\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mygrandcanyonpark.com\/things-to-do\/neighboring-parks\/national-monuments-abound-here\/\">Arizona\u2019s other national monuments<\/a> remain free from extractive industries? Continue contacting your representatives and senators to ensure it\u2019s on their priority lists.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/environment\/baaj-nwaavjo-itah-kukveni-lawsuit-rejected\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the designation of Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni, protecting nearly one million acres of sacred Indigenous land and critical wildlife habitat from extractive industries. Hack Canyon portal to Grand Canyon (Photo: Getty Images) Published April 7, 2026 01:14PM Outside the bounds of Grand Canyon National Park, one of our<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wild-living"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}