Flagstaff To Decide If Land Surrounding Monument Needs Protection
The Flagstaff City Council will decide Tuesday whether to add an additional layer of protection to land surrounding Walnut Canyon National Monument.
According to a study prepared by federal and local agencies, the land contains thousands of archaeological sites, Mexican Spotted Owl habitat and several popular trails.
The Forest Service currently manages most of the 27,914 acres surrounding the monument.
Environmentalists would like to see Congressional approval before any exchange of federal lands or development takes place. Sierra Club’s Alicyn Gitlin said there are thousands of homes proposed to be built in this area.
“It would be a real pity to see more land within this become traded for roads or utility corridors or new development,” Gitlin said. “The goal is to protect it in one piece now before those kinds of threats resurface.”
Many Flagstaff residents surveyed about a decade ago would like to conserve the land surrounding the monument.
