A new bill, that would be detrimental to the Grand Canyon, has been introduced by Senators McCain(AZ) and Hatch(UT), among others, that would block the United States Department of the Interior from implementing a 20-year moratorium on new uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park. It is absolutely necessary that everyone spreads the word about this terrible bill. Write letters to your Senators, post this blog to your facebook page, write an editorial in your local newspaper, and let everyone you know see what is going on.
To Take Action:
A letter with a personal touch can be written through The Grand Canyon Trust. This letter can be reached by going to http://gct.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/homepage and following the let your Congress know you support Secretary Salazar’s wild lands policy link. Once the letter is written you can e-mail it to your local senators and representatives. The letter can also be printed out with your senator’s address, and then mailed to them.
Our View:
Colorado River & Trail Expeditions is mystified and disgusted that Republican Senators John McCain and Orrin Hatch, among others, have introduced a bill that would block the United States Department of the Interior from implementing a 20-year moratorium on new uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park. In June, after months of studies and deliberation, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar decided that “expanded uranium mining around the canyon could threaten water supplies, air quality, wildlife, desert vegetation and priceless scenery.” Once lost, Mr. Salazar said, “those assets can never be reclaimed.” Salazar also announced his support of a full 20 year withdrawal of 1.1 million acres of public land watersheds surrounding the Grand Canyon to new uranium mining claims.
Speaking from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Salazar spoke of John Wesley Powell and Teddy Roosevelt in his speech:
To be here—for John Wesley Powell or for any of us—is to be overwhelmed and humbled by the scale of geologic time. The minutes, hours, and days by which we measure our lives are hardly an instant in the life of these canyons. Yet, all of us—by the decisions we make in our short time here—can alter the grandeur of this place…As Teddy Roosevelt famously implored from this very place: “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”
Colorado River & Trail Expeditions completely agrees with Salazar’s decision for a full 20 year withdrawal of 1.1 million acres of Public land watersheds surrounding Grand Canyon to new Uranium Mining claims. To learn more about this Uranium Mining issue and how it could potentially affect the Grand Canyon, please check out the editorial our guide Walker Mackay wrote for the Salt Lake Tribune. It explains the importance of keeping uranium mining out of the Grand Canyon for our Grand Canyon rafting business and for the public in general.
