H.R. 1479

Chiricahua National Park Act

STATEMENT OF MICHAEL A. CALDWELL, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PARK PLANNING, FACILITIES AND LANDS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC LANDS CONCERNING H.R. 1479, A BILL TO ESTABLISH THE CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL PARK IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA AS A UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

September 18, 2024
 

Chairman Tiffany, Ranking Member Neguse, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the Department of the Interior's views on H.R. 1479, a bill to establish the Chiricahua National Park in the state of Arizona as a unit of the National Park System.

The Department supports H.R. 1479 with amendments.

H.R. 1479 would redesignate Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona as Chiricahua National Park.

Chiricahua National Monument was established on April 18, 1924, by President Calvin Coolidge by presidential proclamation. The monument is located in Cochise County, approximately 37 miles southeast of Willcox, Arizona. It is located at the intersection of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts, the southern Rocky Mountains, and the northern Sierra Madre.

Chiricahua National Monument is known as a “Wonderland of Rocks” because of its distinctive pinnacle formations. These formations are the result of powerful volcanic events combined with geologic erosive forces over time, creating the rhyolitic rock formations in the monument. The Madrean Sky Island ecosystem of the monument protects a great diversity of flora and fauna and serves as a critical habitat for threatened, endangered, and endemic species.

Chiricahua National Monument also preserves evidence of diverse human history spanning thousands of years, including prehistoric indigenous peoples, Chiricahua Apaches, Buffalo Soldiers, European-American pioneers and ranchers, and the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps. The monument’s Faraway Ranch Historic District includes structures, resources, and landscapes associated with the former pioneer homestead and working cattle ranch. Stories and evidence of struggle, perseverance, stewardship, and connection to the land unite the experiences of each of these groups, which left a lasting legacy on the land and our country.

Re-designating the monument as Chiricahua National Park is consistent with the nomenclature patterns of the National Park System. Units designated as national parks generally contain a variety of resources and encompass a large land or water area to help provide adequate protection of the resources. With its wealth of both natural and cultural resources over a large land mass of approximately 12,025 acres, it is appropriate to designate this unit as a national park.

The Department would like to work with the sponsor and the Committee on amendments that would ensure the protection of traditional cultural and religious sites in Chiricahua National Park, and ensure continued access to those sites by members of culturally-affiliated Indian tribes for religious and cultural purposes. Additionally, because Chiricahua National Monument is already a unit of the National Park System, we recommend a change in the title of the bill.

Chairman Tiffany, this concludes my statement. I would be pleased to answer any questions you or other members of the Subcommittee may have.