Sec. 2. Findings
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/bill/118/hr/4580/ih/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds that— the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed— is— a nationally significant landscape; an ancestral homeland for regional Indian Tribes; an important species migration corridor; a fragile ecosystem; and a remote refuge of scientific, climatic, and recreational importance; and urgently requires congressional protection; the Associated Tribes— have a longstanding historical, cultural, and religious connection to the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed; and have been stewards of the natural and cultural resources that comprise the landscape of the Grand Canyon ecosystem, including the plants, wildlife, and water sources of the landscape, since time immemorial; from quarries and campsites to housesites, pictographs, rock shelters, petroglyphs, storage bins, caves, seeps, springs, and sacred sites like Red Butte and Kanab Creek, the landscape of the Grand Canyon area continues to play a vital role in the cultural and religious life of the Associated Tribes; through the role of the Associated Tribes as stewards of the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed, the Associated Tribes possess deep traditional ecological and cultural knowledge of the unique and fragile landscape, which serves a vital role in the continued management of the land as the land faces new and growing threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, and extreme drought; given the traditional and cultural knowledge of the Associated Tribes and the sacred importance of the landscape of the Grand Canyon area, it is essential that the Associated Tribes play an integral role in the management planning for and ongoing stewardship of the National Monument; the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed in northern Arizona contains nationally significant biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational, and scientific values; the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed is integral to Grand Canyon National Park; the surface tributaries and groundwater sources within the Grand Canyon watershed are interconnected and contribute significantly to the flow of the Colorado River, which provides a source of drinking water for millions of citizens of the United States; the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed contains a diverse array of canyons, cliffs, grasslands, springs, and escarpments that create a landscape unlike any other landscape in the United States; wildlife corridors within the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed facilitate the migration and survival of many native game species, while the rivers, forests, and grasslands provide habitat for many rare species, threatened species, and endangered species; the Grand Canyon ecosystem and watershed provides a wild and rugged landscape enjoyed by hunters, campers, hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and other recreationists; and recreational activity within the Grand Canyon watershed is the primary driver of sustainable economic development in local communities in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon watershed.