Establishment of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, 55331-55344 [2023-17628]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 15, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55331-55344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17628]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 156 / Tuesday, August 15, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 55331]]

                Proclamation 10606 of August 8, 2023

                
Establishment of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni--
                Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National 
                Monument

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Since time immemorial, many Tribes of the Southwest 
                have lived and prayed among the canyons and plateaus of 
                a landscape unlike any other in the world. The region 
                is described in numerous languages. Many of the 
                Indigenous names for the area reflect the deep 
                interconnection between the land and its Tribal 
                Nations. For example, the Havasupai call it baaj 
                nwaavjo, or ``where Indigenous peoples roam.'' To the 
                Hopi, it is i'tah kukveni, or ``our ancestral 
                footprints.'' In English, we call the canyon that lies 
                at the center of this region ``the Grand Canyon.''

                In addition to its profound historical, cultural, and 
                religious significance, the Grand Canyon region is 
                known around the world for containing some of the 
                greatest natural wonders on the planet. The area 
                supports remarkable geology and a diversity of wildlife 
                and plants that flourish in its vast and well-connected 
                ecosystem.

                The Grand Canyon region has played a central role in 
                America's conservation history. In 1893, 2 years after 
                the establishment of the National Forest System, the 
                area was designated as the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve. 
                In 1908, 2 years after the Congress passed the 
                Antiquities Act, President Theodore Roosevelt used his 
                authority under the Act to protect some of the deepest 
                canyons along the Colorado River as a national 
                monument. In 1919, 3 years after the establishment of 
                the National Park Service, the Congress created Grand 
                Canyon National Park. Today, millions of people from 
                around the world come to the Grand Canyon region each 
                year to visit, learn in, and explore the national park 
                and the plateaus and canyons that surround it. The 
                conservation and stewardship of the broader Grand 
                Canyon region have helped safeguard the integrity of 
                vital natural resources important to the Nation's 
                health and well-being, including clean drinking water 
                that flows through the region's springs and streams and 
                into the Colorado River, before eventually reaching the 
                taps of millions of homes across the Southwest.

                The history of the lands and resources in the Grand 
                Canyon region also tells a painful story about the 
                forced removal and dispossession of Tribal Nations and 
                Indigenous peoples. The Federal Government used the 
                establishment of Grand Canyon National Park to justify 
                denying Indigenous peoples access to their homelands, 
                preventing them from engaging in traditional cultural 
                and religious practices within the boundaries of the 
                park. Despite these barriers, Tribal Nations and 
                Indigenous peoples persevered and continued to conduct 
                their long-standing practices on sacred homelands just 
                outside the boundaries of the national park, among the 
                vast landscapes of plateaus, canyons, and tributaries 
                of the Colorado River.

                The lands outside of the national park contain myriad 
                sensitive and distinctive resources that contribute to 
                the Grand Canyon region's renown. In many of these 
                lands outside of the national park, however, the 
                Federal Government permitted or encouraged intensive 
                resource exploration and extraction to meet the needs 
                of the nuclear age. For decades, the Tribal Nations and 
                Indigenous peoples of the Grand Canyon region have 
                worked to protect the health and wellness of their 
                people and the lands, waters,

[[Page 55332]]

                and cultural resources of the region from the effects 
                of this development, including by cleaning up the 
                abandoned mines and related pollution that has been 
                left behind.

                Much of the health and vitality of the Grand Canyon 
                region today is attributable to the tireless work of 
                Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, the lands' first 
                and steadfast stewards. In the tradition of their 
                ancestors, who fought to defend the sovereignty of 
                their nations and to regain access to places and sites 
                essential to their cultural and traditional practices, 
                Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples have remained 
                resolute in their commitment to protect the landscapes 
                of the region, which are integral to their identity and 
                indispensable to the health and well-being of millions 
                of people living in the Southwest.

                Efforts to address the legacy of dispossession and 
                exclusion of Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples in 
                the Grand Canyon region and to conserve the region's 
                cultural and natural resources beyond the boundaries of 
                Grand Canyon National Park span several decades. In 
                1975, the Congress took a first step toward addressing 
                these earlier injustices when it restored lands along 
                the Grand Canyon's rim to the Havasupai Tribe and 
                established cultural use lands as part of an expansion 
                of Grand Canyon National Park. More recently, 
                legislation has been introduced in multiple Congresses 
                to permanently conserve the lands to the south, 
                northeast, and northwest of Grand Canyon National Park 
                for the benefit of Tribes, the public, and future 
                generations. In addition, in 2012, the Secretary of the 
                Interior withdrew many of these lands from the location 
                of new mining claims for a 20-year period.

                Conserving lands that stretch beyond Grand Canyon 
                National Park through an abiding partnership between 
                the United States and the region's Tribal Nations will 
                ensure that current and future generations can learn 
                from and experience the compelling and abundant 
                historic and scientific objects found there, and will 
                also serve as an important next step in understanding 
                and addressing past injustices.

                The natural and cultural objects of the lands have 
                historic and scientific value that is unique, rich, and 
                well-documented. The sweeping plateaus to the south, 
                northeast, and northwest of Grand Canyon National Park 
                constitute three distinct areas, each of which is an 
                integral part of the broader Grand Canyon ecosystem. 
                The northwestern area, which is administered by both 
                the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the 
                Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service 
                (Forest Service) within the Department of Agriculture, 
                begins at the western edge of the Kanab watershed and 
                northern boundary of Grand Canyon National Park and 
                stretches north to the Shinarump Cliffs and Moonshine 
                Ridge. The northeastern area primarily includes parts 
                of House Rock Valley, which are administered by the BLM 
                and the Forest Service, and extends west from Marble 
                Canyon along the Colorado River to the edge of the 
                Kaibab Plateau. The southern area includes a portion of 
                the Coconino Plateau to the south of Grand Canyon 
                National Park that is managed by the Forest Service, 
                and extends from the border of the Havasupai Indian 
                Reservation in the west to the Navajo Nation in the 
                east.

                While the greater Grand Canyon region is indisputably a 
                cultural resource in its entirety, the landscapes in 
                these three discrete areas are themselves historically 
                and scientifically significant. They give context to 
                the individual geologic features and other resources 
                found there, contain numerous archaeological sites, and 
                provide havens for sensitive and endangered species--
                including the California condor, desert bighorn sheep, 
                and endemic plant and animal species--all of which 
                constitute objects of independent historic or 
                scientific interest. The landscapes are also integrally 
                connected to the Indigenous Knowledge amassed by the 
                Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples in the area over 
                countless generations. Some of the objects in these 
                areas are sacred to Tribal Nations; are sensitive, 
                rare, or vulnerable to vandalism and theft; or are 
                unsafe to visit. Therefore, revealing their specific 
                names or locations could pose a danger to the objects 
                or to the public.

[[Page 55333]]

                These areas lie within the homelands of numerous Tribal 
                Nations--including 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--who describe the 
                lands here as a cultural landscape to which their 
                ancestors belong. The surrounding plateaus, canyons, 
                and tributaries of the Colorado River are central and 
                sacred components of the origin and history of multiple 
                Tribal Nations, weaving together overlapping spiritual, 
                cultural, and territorial systems. Many Tribes note 
                that their ancestors are buried here and refer to these 
                areas as their eternal home, a place of healing, and a 
                source of spiritual sustenance. Like their ancestors, 
                Indigenous peoples continue to use these areas for 
                religious ceremonies; hunting; and gathering of plants, 
                medicines, and other materials, including some found 
                nowhere else on Earth.

                The areas to the south, northeast, and northwest of 
                Grand Canyon National Park contain over 3,000 known 
                cultural and historic sites, including 12 properties 
                listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and 
                likely a great many more in areas not yet surveyed. All 
                three areas contain locations that are sacred or 
                significant to the Apache, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, 
                Navajo, Southern Paiute, Yavapai, and Zuni Peoples, 
                whose ancestors lived, hunted, farmed, and gathered 
                here, some moving among camps in different places to 
                take advantage of the best seasonal times and locations 
                to hunt or harvest resources. More than 50 species of 
                plants that grow in these areas, including catsclaw, 
                willow, soapweed, and pi[ntilde]on, have been 
                identified as important to Tribal Nations. Historic 
                shared use by different Tribes of the plateaus in the 
                three areas, including for farming, hunting, and 
                resource gathering on the Coconino Plateau, helped 
                build strong, intergenerational relationships among the 
                Tribal Nations that call this region home.

                For hundreds of years, Tribal Nations and Indigenous 
                peoples used trails across portions of all three 
                distinct landscapes to access sacred or important sites 
                in surrounding areas such as the Grand Canyon, Mount 
                Trumbull, and the Hopi salt mine. For example, routes 
                throughout the southern area connect the Grand Canyon 
                with the Paiute, Hopi, and Navajo homelands. 
                Historically significant pathways in all three areas 
                can still be seen on the landscape, and in many cases, 
                they continue to be actively used.

                In the northwestern area, within the larger Kanab Creek 
                drainage and particularly along Kanab Creek, there is 
                evidence of ancient villages and habitations, including 
                cliff houses, storage sites, granaries, pictographs, 
                and pottery. The Kanab Plateau contains dwelling sites, 
                including one known to have been occupied nearly 1,000 
                years ago, evidencing agricultural use and hunting by 
                early inhabitants. The Kaibab Band of Paiute farmed in 
                the area, which served as an important trade and 
                transportation route, resource procurement and hunting 
                area, and refuge during Euro-American encroachment into 
                traditional territories. The pictographs and 
                petroglyphs found in the Kanab Creek drainage present a 
                spectacular collection of rock art. One pictograph and 
                petroglyph site in Kanab Creek Canyon has been used for 
                over 2,000 years, including for Ghost Dance ceremonies 
                in the 19th century. Also in the northwest, the BLM 
                manages the Moonshine Spring and its associated 
                historic cultural sites as the Moonshine Ridge Area of 
                Critical Environmental Concern. Nearby Antelope Spring, 
                Shinarump Cliffs, and Yellowstone Spring house 
                historically important cultural sites, and the 
                northwestern portion of the area is a historically 
                significant resource and hunting area for the Southern 
                Paiute.

                In House Rock Valley in the northeastern area, many 
                remnants of homes, storage buildings, pottery, and 
                tools illustrate the area's rich and extensive human 
                history. The area has long been historically important 
                to Tribal Nations for hunting and resource gathering, 
                including to the Kaibab Band of Paiute for hunting deer 
                and pronghorn and gathering pi[ntilde]on nuts, and to 
                the San Juan Paiute for seasonal seed collection.

[[Page 55334]]

                In the southern area, visible for miles in all 
                directions, rises Red Butte, a towering landmark that 
                is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of 
                Historic Places as a traditional cultural property. 
                Called Wii'i Gdwiisa by the Havasupai and Ts[eacute] 
                zhin Ii'ahi by the Navajo, it is defined by an eroded 
                rock and basalt cap from ancient lava and is sacred to 
                the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni 
                Peoples. Red Butte and the surrounding area are central 
                to Tribal creation stories, and dense concentration of 
                flaked stone tools and pottery provide evidence of 
                thousands of years of human habitation there. 
                Additionally, more recent Navajo and Havasupai 
                encampments in the area date to the early to middle 
                1900s. South of Red Butte, Gray Mountain, called 
                Dzi[lstrok]beeh by the Navajo, is mentioned in Navajo 
                ceremonial songs, stories, and rituals, and has long 
                served as a refuge for the Navajo people.

                There are many other physical remnants of human 
                habitation in the southern area, including lithic sites 
                containing stone tools that may be more than 10,000 
                years old and more recent sites containing finely 
                decorated pottery sherds that are between 800 and 1,100 
                years old. Across the southern area, there is evidence 
                of tool production using local materials and the 
                historic use of fire for land management. Rock 
                paintings, cave shelters, shrines, pit houses, masonry 
                structures, and sites for religious ceremonies can be 
                found throughout.

                The southern area also provides important opportunities 
                for research about ancient occupation, including a 
                long-term archaeological study area in the upper basin 
                of the Coconino Plateau where research has been 
                conducted for decades. This study area has led to 
                research on the sourcing of materials for pottery, the 
                conditions that influenced where people lived and 
                congregated, the history and use of anthropogenic fire, 
                methods for recording archaeological sites, methods for 
                protecting cultural resources, and human modification 
                of bedrock, among other topics. Additionally, research 
                has occurred in the area on the relationship between 
                historic climate change and human occupation, including 
                how climate changes affected construction techniques by 
                the Indigenous peoples in the region, the viability of 
                farming, the use of fire, and available resources.

                A defining feature of the three areas is their unique 
                sedimentary and tectonic history, which has resulted in 
                high scientific interest and made the groundwater 
                dynamics of the region among the best studied in the 
                United States. Subsequent studies of the areas' 
                hydrology may prove important to understanding the 
                formation of the Grand Canyon and the dynamics of 
                groundwater and aquifers in the arid Colorado Plateau. 
                Groundwater moving through this complex and distinctive 
                system eventually flows into the meandering and 
                majestic Colorado River, across hundreds of miles of 
                arid and desert lands. The areas' unique hydrology has 
                supported Indigenous peoples and other forms of life 
                since time immemorial and continues to play an 
                essential role in providing drinking water and 
                supporting agricultural production and other services 
                for millions of people across the Southwest.

                The three areas' extensive fractures and faults direct 
                the flow of water, resulting in the formation of seeps 
                and springs that serve as small oases in the otherwise 
                hot, dry landscape, and support some of the most 
                biodiverse habitats in the Colorado Plateau. The 
                hydrologic features of these landscapes are unique and 
                highly interconnected, with groundwater moving through 
                the Redwall-Muav aquifer in the south and through 
                fractures and linked cave passages. The Havasupai and 
                Hualapai Tribes, as well as the town of Tusayan, 
                Arizona, and other towns in the region, rely on the 
                southern area's groundwater. Ultimately, the areas' 
                groundwater flows to the surrounding tributaries, into 
                the Colorado River, and through the Grand Canyon, 
                serving as one of many features tying this landscape 
                together. Much of the water in the areas to the 
                northeast, northwest, and south of the Grand Canyon, 
                from creeks to streams, only runs seasonally based on 
                melting snowpack and monsoon rains.

[[Page 55335]]

                The geology and hydrologic system of the Grand Canyon 
                and these three landscapes are deeply intertwined. 
                Located within the Colorado Plateau and adjacent to the 
                Grand Canyon, the areas' remarkable geology is 
                characterized by exposed sedimentary rock and high, 
                sometimes deeply incised, plateaus. The Mississippian-
                aged Redwall Limestone, known for the stunning red 
                cliffs of the Grand Canyon itself, is present 
                throughout the three landscapes and is the most 
                abundant component of the Redwall-Muav aquifer. This 
                aquifer overlaps with the southern portion of the Grand 
                Canyon landscape, underneath the Coconino Plateau. 
                Dissolution of the Redwall and associated Muav 
                limestones has resulted in the formation of hundreds of 
                karst features such as caves, caverns, and channels.

                In the northeastern area, the Glen Canyon Group--a 
                geologic formation composed of Navajo Sandstone, the 
                Kayenta Formation, and the Moenave Formation--
                represents a continuation of the strikingly beautiful 
                and significant geology found at the adjacent Vermilion 
                Cliffs National Monument. The Kaibab Formation, another 
                geologic formation that is prevalent throughout all 
                three areas, forms most of the rim rock of the Grand 
                Canyon and is responsible for additional significant 
                cave and karst formations in these three regions as 
                well as in Wupahtki National Monument and Grand Canyon 
                National Park itself.

                The Toroweap Fault crosses the northwestern area and is 
                one of the most active faults in Arizona. Due to the 
                relative prevalence of seismic activity, scientists 
                have studied the area to better understand tectonism 
                and faulting, the geologic history of the Colorado 
                Plateau, and the hydrologic history of the Colorado 
                River. Similarly, the Kanab Plateau, also in the 
                northwestern area, has been important for studies of 
                faulting and tectonism, stratigraphy and sediment 
                deposition, and hydrology.

                In the northeastern area, scientists have studied the 
                House Rock Valley, known in the Southern Paiute 
                language as Aesak, meaning ``basket shaped,'' to 
                understand patterns of deposition and erosion. 
                Stratigraphy--the study of rock layers--in this area 
                has been important for developing a broader 
                understanding of how the Grand Canyon formed.

                In the southern area, the Coconino Plateau provides 
                important opportunities to enhance understanding of 
                tectonic uplift, canyon incision, and hydrological 
                dynamics of regional aquifers. Over time, studies of 
                the landscape's geology have also helped improve 
                understanding of the geologic history of the Grand 
                Canyon and Colorado Plateau as a whole. These studies 
                have produced new theories regarding when and how the 
                geologic structures in the area formed or eroded. Sites 
                in this landscape have also been instrumental to long-
                term scientific studies of air pollution, airborne 
                particulates, and visibility, as well as to studies on 
                the use of satellite imagery to map geological 
                formations. Paleontological resources are also found 
                throughout the area, with fossils documented in written 
                scientific literature for nearly 150 years. The Kanab 
                Creek area in particular is known for brachiopod 
                fossils that date back to the Carboniferous period.

                The areas to the northeast, northwest, and south of the 
                Grand Canyon are home to an abundant diversity of plant 
                and animal species of scientific interest. Spanning a 
                vast and unique range of geological and ecological 
                systems, the areas showcase ecological transitions, 
                ranging from the Mojave Desert and riparian habitats at 
                low elevations; to Great Basin grassland, Great Basin 
                woodland, and Great Basin desert scrubland at 
                intermediate elevations; to Rocky Mountain subalpine 
                conifer forests, subalpine grasslands, and montane 
                conifer forests at higher elevations. Ponderosa pine 
                stands, some with old growth characteristics, can also 
                be found at higher elevations.

                Riparian vegetation in the area is rare and precious in 
                this largely arid region. The northwest area houses 
                parts of Kanab Creek, a stream with largely 
                intermittent flow that is home to native riparian plant 
                species. The occasional perennial pools help to support 
                the Kaibab National Forest's only cottonwood-willow 
                riparian forest, an important habitat type in Arizona 
                and the broader Southwest. Kanab Creek provides a 
                habitat for federally

[[Page 55336]]

                listed bird species, including potentially the 
                threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo and endangered 
                southwestern willow flycatcher, both of which have been 
                sighted nearby. The creek also provides a habitat for 
                sensitive amphibian species, including potentially the 
                northern leopard frog.

                In the grasslands found throughout the northwestern and 
                southern areas, dominant vegetation species include 
                native grasses, shrubs such as sagebrush and saltbush, 
                and nearby juniper woodlands and savannas. The southern 
                area is home to endemic and sensitive plant species, 
                such as the Arizona leatherflower, Arizona phlox, 
                Tusayan rabbitbrush, and Morton wild buckwheat. 
                Grassland mammals, such as the pronghorn, and birds and 
                raptors, such as the ferruginous hawk and the western 
                burrowing owl, can also be found there.

                Within the Great Basin desert-scrub habitat of the 
                northwestern and northeastern areas, shrub species such 
                as sagebrush and rabbitbrush grow alongside native 
                grasses, wildflowers and other forbs, and occasionally 
                cacti. This habitat type is home to unique mammal 
                species including the Townsend's ground squirrel, the 
                northern grasshopper mouse, and the more broadly 
                distributed mule deer and bighorn sheep. Birds and 
                reptiles characteristic of this community include the 
                sage thrasher, sage sparrow, desert horned lizard, and 
                Great Basin and Plateau tiger whiptails. The 
                northeastern area also includes a portion of an 
                important fall raptor migration route. The endangered 
                Brady pincushion cactus and candidate species Paradine 
                plains cactus, along with the sensitive Marble Canyon 
                milkvetch and Paria Plateau fishhook cactus, can all be 
                found in the northeastern area. The Siler pincushion 
                cactus can be found in the far reaches of the 
                northwestern area, particularly in the Moonshine Ridge 
                and Johnson Springs Areas of Critical Environmental 
                Concern.

                Pi[ntilde]on and juniper woodlands are present at 
                intermediate elevations and are particularly prevalent 
                in the northwestern and southern areas. The 
                pi[ntilde]on and juniper trees are accompanied by a 
                sparse understory of native grasses and shrubs. This 
                community is home to birds such as the pinyon jay and 
                juniper titmouse. Along with characteristic reptiles 
                and small mammals, this ecosystem also provides 
                important winter range for elk and mule deer.

                Petran montane conifer forests are found at the highest 
                elevations, primarily in the southern area. Ponderosa 
                pine dominates these forests, but Douglas fir, white 
                fir, Gambel oak, and other tree and brush species can 
                also be found there. Several mammal species are 
                dependent on ponderosa pine, including the Abert's 
                squirrel. Bird species representative of this area 
                include the northern goshawk, Merriam's turkey, and a 
                variety of raptors and neotropical migratory songbirds. 
                Elk and mountain lions are also found there.

                The landscape is also home to other significant species 
                of scientific interest. The endemic Grand Canyon 
                ringlet butterfly and Tusayan rabbitbrush are present 
                in the southern area, as may be the endangered and 
                endemic Sentry milkvetch. The endangered Fickeisen 
                plains cactus can be found in all three areas. The 
                endemic Kaibab monkey grasshopper occasionally can be 
                found along the eastern edge of the Kaibab uplift in 
                the northeastern area. The endemic Grand Canyon rose, 
                which has been identified as at risk by the BLM (termed 
                BLM-sensitive), can be found in the northwestern area, 
                the northeastern area, and potentially also the 
                southern area.

                The area provides an important habitat for many notable 
                mammal species, including desert bighorn sheep, which 
                frequent canyons in the area. Kanab Creek's Hack Canyon 
                is one of two canyons where sheep were extirpated and 
                reintroduced in the 1980s, and the population there is 
                studied for its contributions to genetic diversity of 
                the species and to enhance understanding of predation 
                by mountain lions. Pronghorn, elk, bison, and mountain 
                lions can be found on and around the area's plateaus, 
                in addition to mule deer, which travel through the 
                northwestern and northeastern areas as part of an 
                important migratory corridor. The sensitive Allen's 
                lappet-browed

[[Page 55337]]

                bat, along with five other sensitive bat species, can 
                be found in the northeastern and northwestern areas, 
                and possibly the southern area as well, and the endemic 
                and sensitive House Rock Valley chisel-toothed kangaroo 
                rat can be found in the northeastern area. The House 
                Rock Wildlife Area, part of which falls within the 
                northeastern area, contains a herd of bison that is an 
                important contributor to the genetic diversity of bison 
                populations across the United States. House Rock also 
                provides a habitat for pronghorn and a winter range for 
                mule deer.

                Cliffs and rock outcrops throughout the landscapes are 
                home to unique birds including peregrine falcons, bald 
                eagles, golden eagles, and a reintroduced population of 
                endangered California condors. The threatened Mexican 
                spotted owl nests in the northwestern area. Over time, 
                the area has been scientifically important for 
                ecological studies of climate change, ecosystem 
                ecology, vegetation communities, historical fire 
                regimes, and bat ecology. The area also contains all or 
                portions of five separate habitat linkages identified 
                as important to wildlife habitat connectivity and 
                threatened by development by the Arizona Wildlife 
                Linkages Workgroup, a working group of public and 
                private organizations and agencies in Arizona.

                In addition to sustaining Indigenous peoples, 
                vegetation, and wildlife since time immemorial, the 
                northeastern, northwestern, and southern areas also 
                have supported more recent Euro-American settlers. For 
                example, visitors to the northwestern part of this area 
                can trace the route taken by the 1776 Dominguez-
                Escalante expedition in search of a northern route 
                between Santa Fe and Monterrey. Mormon settlers in the 
                late 19th century developed the Honeymoon Trail in the 
                northeastern area to travel between their homes in 
                Arizona and the temple in St. George, Utah, following 
                trails used by Tribal Nations to access sites such as 
                Deer and House Rock Springs.

                These settlers, along with early miners, loggers, and 
                ranchers, left behind scattered remnants of their 
                presence throughout the areas. Hull Cabin, built in 
                1889 by sheep ranchers within the southern area and 
                near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, is listed on 
                the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin is 
                currently maintained for visitors and memorializes the 
                area's early ranching and early Forest Service 
                administrative use of the area. The Emerald/Anita mine 
                and associated Camp Anita, which briefly operated at 
                the end of the 19th century, evidences Arizona's copper 
                mining history, while the Apex Logging Camp contains 
                evidence of the timber industry between 1928 and 1936 
                and is the focus of ongoing research by an 
                archaeological field school. Located at the top of the 
                steepest grade on the Grand Canyon Railroad line, the 
                town of Apex was once the headquarters camp of the 
                Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company and provided wood 
                that was used to build the railroad, timber the mines, 
                and construct the resorts along the South Rim of the 
                Grand Canyon. Remnants of these structures, such as the 
                foundation of a one-room school house constructed from 
                two converted box cars, building platforms, domestic 
                trash scatters, and railroad beds can still be seen 
                today and help tell the story of Apex and its outlying 
                camps, which between 1928 and 1936 provided a home for 
                lumberjacks and locomotive crews.

                The southern area also includes three other noteworthy 
                historic sites: The decommissioned Red Butte Airfield, 
                which is listed on the National Register of Historic 
                Places, operated in the 1920s to bring visitors, 
                including celebrities like Amelia Earhart, Charles 
                Lindbergh, and Will Rogers, to view the wonders of the 
                Grand Canyon. The Grandview Lookout Tower and its two-
                room cabin, located near the South Rim of the Grand 
                Canyon, were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps 
                in 1936 to aid the Forest Service and the National Park 
                Service in detecting wildland fires. And the Tusayan 
                Ranger Station, which is also listed on the National 
                Register of Historic Places, comprises six historic 
                buildings constructed between 1939 and 1942, including 
                a house, a barn, and a corral.

                Protecting the areas to the northeast, northwest, and 
                south of the Grand Canyon will preserve an important 
                spiritual, cultural, prehistoric, and historic

[[Page 55338]]

                legacy; maintain a diverse array of natural and 
                scientific resources; and help ensure that the 
                prehistoric, historic, and scientific value of the 
                areas endures for the benefit of all Americans. As 
                described above, the areas contain numerous objects of 
                historic and scientific interest, and they provide 
                exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, 
                including hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, horseback 
                riding, backpacking, scenic driving, and wildlife-
                viewing, all of which are important to the travel- and 
                tourism-based economy of the region.

                WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code 
                (the ``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the President, in 
                his discretion, to declare by public proclamation 
                historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric 
                structures, and other objects of historic or scientific 
                interest that are situated upon the lands owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government to be national 
                monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of 
                land, the limits of which shall be confined to the 
                smallest area compatible with the proper care and 
                management of the objects to be protected; and

                WHEREAS, the landscapes of the areas to the northeast, 
                northwest, and south of the Grand Canyon have been 
                profoundly sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous 
                peoples of the Southwest since time immemorial; and

                WHEREAS, I find that the unique historic and scientific 
                characteristics of the landscapes, and the collection 
                of objects and resources therein, make the landscapes 
                more than the mere sum of their parts, and thus the 
                entire landscapes within the boundaries of each area 
                reserved by this proclamation are themselves objects of 
                historic and scientific interest in need of protection 
                under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code; 
                and

                WHEREAS, I find that all the objects identified above 
                are objects of historic or scientific interest in need 
                of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United 
                States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly 
                identified as objects of historic or scientific 
                interest in the text of this proclamation; and

                WHEREAS, I find that there are threats to the objects 
                identified above, and, in the absence of a reservation 
                under the Antiquities Act, these objects are not 
                adequately protected by the current withdrawal, 
                administrative designations, or otherwise applicable 
                law because current protections do not require 
                executive departments and agencies (agencies) to ensure 
                the proper care and management of the objects and some 
                objects fall outside of the boundaries of the current 
                withdrawal; thus a national monument reserving the 
                lands identified herein is necessary to protect the 
                objects of historic and scientific interest identified 
                above for current and future generations; and

                WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument 
                reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest 
                area compatible with the proper care and management of 
                the objects of scientific or historic interest 
                identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act, 
                including the landscapes within the boundaries of the 
                three areas reserved and, independently, the collection 
                of objects within those landscapes; and

                WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure the 
                preservation, restoration, and protection of the 
                objects of scientific and historic interest identified 
                above, including the entire landscapes within the 
                boundaries reserved by this proclamation;

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by the authority vested 
                in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States 
                Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that 
                are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government to be the Baaj 
                Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni--Ancestral Footprints of the 
                Grand Canyon National Monument (monument) and, for the 
                purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part 
                thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned 
                or controlled by the Federal Government within the 
                boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is 
                attached

[[Page 55339]]

                hereto and forms a part of this proclamation. These 
                reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass 
                approximately 917,618 acres. As a result of the 
                distribution of the objects across the Baaj Nwaavjo 
                I'tah Kukveni--Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon 
                areas, and additionally and independently, because the 
                landscapes within each of the three monument areas are 
                objects of scientific and historic interest in need of 
                protection, the boundaries described on the 
                accompanying map are confined to the smallest area 
                compatible with the proper care and management of the 
                objects of historic or scientific interest identified 
                above.

                All Federal lands and interests in lands within the 
                boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and 
                withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, 
                sale, or other disposition under the public land laws 
                or laws applicable to the Forest Service, other than by 
                exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the 
                monument; from location, entry, and patent under the 
                mining laws; and from disposition under all laws 
                relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

                This proclamation is subject to valid existing rights. 
                If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any 
                lands or interests in lands not currently owned or 
                controlled by the Federal Government within the 
                boundaries described on the accompanying map, such 
                lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a 
                part of the monument, and objects of the type 
                identified above that are situated upon those lands and 
                interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon 
                acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal 
                Government.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to 
                alter the valid existing water rights of any party, 
                including the United States, or to alter or affect 
                agreements governing the management and administration 
                of the Colorado River, including any existing 
                interstate water compact.

                The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
                Agriculture (Secretaries) shall manage the monument 
                through the BLM and Forest Service, respectively, in 
                accordance with the terms, conditions, and management 
                direction provided by this proclamation. The Forest 
                Service shall manage the portion of the monument within 
                the boundaries of the National Forest System and the 
                BLM shall manage the remainder of the monument. The 
                lands administered by the Forest Service shall be 
                managed as part of the Kaibab National Forest. The 
                lands administered by the BLM shall be managed as a 
                unit of the National Landscape Conservation System.

                For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects 
                identified above, the Secretaries shall jointly prepare 
                a management plan for the monument and shall promulgate 
                such rules and regulations for the management of the 
                monument as they deem appropriate for those purposes. 
                The Secretaries, through the BLM and Forest Service, 
                shall consult with other Federal land management 
                agencies or agency components in the local area, 
                including the National Park Service, in developing the 
                management plan. In promulgating any management rules 
                and regulations governing National Forest System lands 
                within the monument and developing the management plan, 
                the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest 
                Service, shall consult with the Secretary of the 
                Interior, through the BLM.

                The Secretaries shall provide for maximum public 
                involvement in the development of the management plan, 
                as well as consultation with federally recognized 
                Tribal Nations and conferral with State and local 
                governments. In preparing the management plan, the 
                Secretaries shall take into account, to the maximum 
                extent practicable, maintaining the undeveloped 
                character of the lands within the monument; minimizing 
                impacts from surface-disturbing activities; providing 
                appropriate access for livestock grazing, recreation, 
                hunting, fishing, dispersed camping, wildlife 
                management, and scientific research; and emphasizing 
                the retention of natural quiet, dark night skies and 
                scenic attributes of the landscape. In the development 
                and implementation of the management plan, the 
                Secretaries shall maximize opportunities, pursuant to 
                applicable legal authorities, for shared resources, 
                operational

[[Page 55340]]

                efficiency, and cooperation, and shall, to the maximum 
                extent practicable, carefully incorporate the 
                Indigenous Knowledge or special expertise offered by 
                Tribal Nations and work with Tribal Nations to 
                appropriately protect that knowledge.

                The Secretaries shall explore opportunities for Tribal 
                Nations to participate in co-stewardship of the 
                monument; explore entering into cooperative agreements 
                or, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and 
                Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq., 
                contracts with Tribes or Tribal organizations to 
                perform administrative or management functions within 
                the monument; and explore providing technical and 
                financial assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal 
                Nations to develop, enter into, and carry out 
                activities under such cooperative agreements or 
                contracts. The Secretaries shall further explore 
                opportunities for funding agreements with Tribal 
                Nations relating to the management and protection of 
                traditional cultural properties and other culturally 
                significant programming associated with the monument.

                The Secretaries shall consider appropriate mechanisms 
                to provide for temporary closures to the general public 
                of specific portions of the monument to protect the 
                privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering 
                activities of members of Tribal Nations.

                The Secretaries, through the BLM and Forest Service, 
                shall establish an advisory committee under the Federal 
                Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq., to 
                provide information and advice regarding the 
                development of the management plan and, as appropriate, 
                management of the monument. The advisory committee 
                shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of 
                interested stakeholders, including the Arizona Game and 
                Fish Department; other State agencies and local 
                governments; Tribal Nations; recreational users; 
                conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting, and 
                fishing organizations; the scientific community; the 
                ranching community; business owners; and the general 
                public in the region.

                In recognition of the importance of collaboration with 
                Tribal Nations to the proper care and management of the 
                objects identified above, and to ensure that management 
                of the monument reflects tribal expertise and 
                Indigenous Knowledge, a Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni--
                Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Commission 
                (Commission) is hereby established to provide guidance 
                and recommendations on the development and 
                implementation of the management plan and on the 
                management of the monument. The Commission shall 
                consist of one elected officer each from any Tribal 
                Nation with ancestral ties to the area that has entered 
                a cooperative agreement or similar arrangement with the 
                Secretaries, through the BLM or Forest Service, in 
                which the Tribal Nation and the Secretaries agree to 
                co-stewardship of the monument through shared 
                responsibilities or administration; has expressed, by 
                Tribal resolution, an intention to join the Commission; 
                and has designated an elected officer as the respective 
                Tribe's representative. The Commission may adopt such 
                procedures as it deems necessary to govern its 
                activities, so that it may effectively partner with 
                agencies by making continuing contributions to inform 
                decisions regarding the management of the monument. The 
                Secretaries shall explore opportunities to provide 
                support to the Commission to enable participation in 
                the planning and management of the monument.

                The Secretaries shall meaningfully engage the 
                Commission, or, should the Commission no longer exist, 
                the relevant Tribal Nations through some other entity 
                composed of one elected Tribal government officer from 
                each of the Tribes represented on the Commission 
                (comparable entity), in the development of the 
                management plan and to inform the subsequent management 
                of the monument. To that end, the Secretaries shall, in 
                developing, revising, or amending the management plan, 
                carefully and fully consider integrating the Indigenous 
                Knowledge and special expertise of the members of the 
                Commission or comparable entity. The management plan 
                for the monument shall also set forth parameters for 
                continued meaningful engagement with

[[Page 55341]]

                the Commission or comparable entity in the 
                implementation of the management plan.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter, 
                modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or 
                jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation. The Secretaries 
                shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in 
                consultation with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection 
                of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in 
                the monument and shall provide access to Tribal members 
                for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary 
                uses, consistent with the American Indian Religious 
                Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom 
                Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive 
                Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and 
                the November 10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding 
                Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration 
                for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites. Such 
                uses shall include, but are not limited to, the 
                collection of medicines, berries, plants and other 
                vegetation for cradle boards and other purposes, and 
                firewood for ceremonial practices and personal 
                noncommercial use, so long as each use is carried out 
                in a manner consistent with the proper care and 
                management of the objects identified above.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to 
                preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere 
                with the operation, maintenance, replacement, 
                modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or 
                previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, 
                and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or 
                highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities; 
                wildlife management structures; or water 
                infrastructure, including wildlife water developments 
                or water district facilities, within the boundaries of 
                existing or previously approved authorizations within 
                the monument. Existing or previously approved flood 
                control, utility, pipeline, telecommunications, and 
                seismic monitoring facilities; roads or highway 
                corridors; wildlife management structures; and water 
                infrastructure, including wildlife water developments 
                or water district facilities, may be expanded, and new 
                facilities of such kind may be constructed, to the 
                extent consistent with the proper care and management 
                of the objects identified above and subject to the 
                Secretaries' authorities, other applicable law, and the 
                provisions of this proclamation related to roads and 
                trails.

                For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects 
                identified above, the Secretaries shall prepare a 
                transportation plan that designates the roads and 
                trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized 
                vehicle use, including mountain biking, will be 
                allowed. The transportation plan shall include 
                management decisions, including road closures and 
                travel restrictions consistent with applicable law, 
                necessary to protect the objects identified in this 
                proclamation. Except for emergency purposes, authorized 
                administrative purposes, wildlife management conducted 
                by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the 
                retrieval of legally harvested elk and bison, which are 
                otherwise consistent with applicable law, motorized 
                vehicle use in the monument may be permitted only on 
                roads and trails documented as existing in BLM and 
                Forest Service route inventories that exist as of the 
                date of this proclamation. Any additional roads or 
                trails designated for motorized vehicle use must be 
                designated only for public safety needs or the 
                protection of the objects identified above.

                The Secretaries shall explore mechanisms, consistent 
                with applicable law, to enable the protection of 
                Indigenous Knowledge or other information relating to 
                the nature and specific location of cultural resources 
                within the monument and, to the extent practicable, 
                shall explain any limitations on the ability to protect 
                such information from disclosure before it is shared 
                with agencies.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to 
                prohibit grazing pursuant to existing leases or permits 
                within the monument, or the renewal or assignment of 
                such leases or permits, which the BLM and Forest 
                Service shall continue to manage pursuant to their 
                respective laws, regulations, and policies.

[[Page 55342]]

                Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the BLM's or 
                Forest Service's ability to authorize access to and 
                remediation or monitoring of contaminated lands within 
                the monument, including for remediation of mine, mill, 
                or tailing sites, or for the restoration of natural 
                resources.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level 
                overflights of military aircraft, flight testing or 
                evaluation, the designation of new units of special use 
                airspace, the use or establishment of military flight 
                training routes, or low-level overflights and landings 
                for wildlife management conducted by the Arizona Game 
                and Fish Department over the lands reserved by this 
                proclamation. Nothing in this proclamation shall 
                preclude air or ground access to existing or new 
                electronic tracking communications sites associated 
                with special use airspace and military training routes.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge 
                or diminish the jurisdiction or authority of the State 
                of Arizona with respect to fish and wildlife 
                management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands 
                reserved by this proclamation, or to affect the State's 
                access to the monument for wildlife management, 
                including access prior to and during the development of 
                the management and transportation plans provided for 
                above. The Secretaries shall seek to develop and 
                implement science-based habitat and ecological 
                restoration projects within the monument and shall seek 
                to collaborate with the State of Arizona on wildlife 
                management within the monument, including through the 
                development of new, or the continuation of existing, 
                memoranda of understanding with the Arizona Game and 
                Fish Department.

                The Secretaries may carry out vegetative management 
                treatments within the monument to the extent consistent 
                with the proper care and management of the objects 
                identified above, with a focus on addressing ecological 
                restoration; wildlife connectivity; or the risk of 
                wildfire, insect infestation, invasive species, or 
                disease that would endanger the objects identified in 
                this proclamation or imperil public safety. Nothing in 
                this proclamation shall be construed to alter the 
                authority of any party with respect to the use of 
                prescribed fire within the monument.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to 
                alter the authority or responsibility of any party with 
                respect to emergency response activities within the 
                monument, including wildland fire response.

                Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke 
                any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; 
                however, the monument shall be the dominant 
                reservation.

                Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not 
                to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature 
                of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of 
                the lands thereof.

                If any provision of this proclamation, including its 
                application to a particular parcel of land, is held to 
                be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its 
                application to other parcels of land shall not be 
                affected thereby.

[[Page 55343]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

Billing code 3395-F3-P



[[Page 55344]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TD15AU23.007


[FR Doc. 2023-17628
Filed 8-14-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 4310-10-C