2016 marks the centennial of the National Park Service and Americans are celebrating the 100th birthday of their nation’s “best idea” in high fashion. Throughout the country, rangers amped up their education programs for National Park Week (April 16th – 24th). Ken Burns released a new six-part miniseries on the parks, and a coalition of minority groups has been hard at work to make our country’s treasures more accessible to people of color. Although the year-long celebration is a cause of joy for many, not all have been enthusiastic.
According to a recent analysis by the Center for American Progress, an increasing number of lawmakers are active in what the organization describes as an “Anti-Parks Caucus.” Since 2010, twenty Republican legislators have been identified as members of this group and have made it nearly impossible to pass new parks and wilderness bills. Aside for pushing for the sale of millions of acres of public land, these individuals have introduced more than 44 bills limiting park protections. The Anti-Parks Caucus has also taken shots at the strongest conservation legislation in the U.S. – the Antiquities Act.
The Antiquities Act grants the U.S. president authority to protect significant historical sites by declaring them national monuments. This bill was passed in 1906 during Theodore Roosevelt’s second term as president and was later used to create the Grand Canyon National Monument (today’s Grand Canyon National Park). Since 1906, the act has been used over 100 times to ensure future generations’ access to irreplaceable cultural and archaeological sites. The Casa Grande Ruins, Devil’s Tower, and the Statue of Liberty are only a few of our nation’s 121 national monuments.
Currently, President Obama is considering the use of the act to establish the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument – a stretch of land adjacent to the national park and the territories of several Native American nations. The monument would permanently ban uranium mining in the area – a proposal which has drawn the disdain of the Anti-Parks Caucus, as well as Koch-backed dark money groups, Prosper Inc. and the Prosper Foundation Inc.
Earlier this year, the Prosper Foundation released a policy brief arguing for the rejection of the monument. Although the document is well-written, their reasons against the proposal amount to little more than corporate grandstanding. Prosper describes the monument as a “particularly aggressive example of federal overreach,” insinuating that the president’s real motive in entertaining the proposal is to seize resources for federal control. The brief also paints uranium mining as a hazard-free endeavor despite ample evidence to the contrary.
The most disturbing element of Prosper and Anti-Parks Caucus activity is its disconnect with public opinion. Polling indicates that 83% of Americans want their Congressional representatives to support policies which strengthen National Parks. This support holds true at the local level as well. In a February survey, The Grand Canyon Trust learned that 80% of Arizonans are in favor of the proposed monument. Why all the resistance, then? Center for American Progress writer, Jenny Rowland, thinks money has a lot to do with it. Nearly all of the representatives involved with Prosper or the Anti-Parks Caucus receive funding from the Koch brothers or other wealthy donors. Many of these corporate backers have a vested interest in the uranium mining near the park, as well as a history of using their financial influence to draw elected officials away from the people’s concerns.
Despite the obvious government corruption, efforts are underway to increase protections for the area. In 2012, the Secretary of the Interior issued a 20-year ban on mining in and around the Grand Canyon. For those living in the area, however, this is a short-sighted solution. Radioactive dust from now-dormant uranium mines has already contaminated a spring-fed creek within the canyon, as well as much of the area’s groundwater. The Havasupai people’s sole source of drinking water has also been threatened. In response, the coalition they formed with ten other Native American tribes has taken a leading role in conservation efforts.
What can you do to help?
Sign the Grand Canyon Trust’s petition for President Obama. Tell your Congressional representatives that you support the protection of public lands and spread the word by sharing this article. Together, we can protect our country’s natural treasures for years to come.
