The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) that puts Arizona another step closer to getting its fourth national park.
The House passed the Chiricahua National Park Act, H.R. 6380, which would turn Cochise County’s iconic Chiricahua National Monument into a 12,000-acre national park.
“The Chiricahua National Park Act honors one of southeastern Arizona’s most incredible natural treasures by giving Chiricahua National Monument a national park status,” Rep. Ciscomani said. “This redesignation will protect our public lands while also bringing more tourism to our region, boosting economic development. I’m proud to introduce legislation that highlights what’s special about our region and reflects the unique priorities of Arizona.”
If enacted, H.R. 6380 would designate the 102-year-old monument as a national park and would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to ensure the protection of traditional cultural and religious sites in the park, and provide access to those sites by members of Indian tribes for traditional cultural and customary uses.
Giving Chiricahua National Monument a national park status would also boost local tourism and economic growth in southeastern Arizona, according to several local leaders who support the bill, including City of Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock; Matthew Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association; Camilla Simon, executive director of HECHO; Orlando Cazarez, a member of the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council; and Melany Edwards-Barton, CEO of the Sky Islands Regional Partnership.
The bipartisan bill, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), advanced to the U.S. Senate, which on March 17 referred it to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for consideration.