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Monument overshadowed by politics, cattle
By Brian Minnick Staff Writer
Ex-President Bill Clinton, who established the monument on Jan. 11, 2000, stated in his proclamation that the reason for the designation is to "embrace an extraordinary array of scientific and historic resources." The Bureau of Land Management reports there to be at least 450 prehistoric sites within the monument, some containing more than 100 rooms. These ruins were left between the time periods of 1250 to 1450 A.D, from the pueblo tribes that inhabited the area. The archeological evidence suggests that several thousand people once lived and farmed in what is now the national monument. The BLM also states there is evidence of 19th century Anglo-American settlers and the remains of their mining operations, along with abandoned Basque sheep camps throughout the monument. The archeological evidence of native Americans litters the monument in the form of petroglyphs and village complexes. The villages rest on canyon rims overlooking cottonwood studded tributaries of the dry Agua Fria River. These remnants from the past are hard to find and are not visible from the road. One must explore on foot and know what to look for. The plundering of Indian materials within the monument is strictly prohibited. The monument contains no facilities and is only accessible from the Badger Springs and Bloody Basin exits from I-17. The plan for the monument, according to Nancy Guerrero, the BLM's public affairs specialist is "for the monument to be kept pristine, not like a national park." Despite the BLM's aim, grazing cattle still extensively range the preserved land. The BLM reports that there are 11 grazing allotments and over 1000 cattle roaming this desert grassland environment. The monuments designation has done nothing to remove the large ungulate from its boundaries, and evidence exists throughout the monument of overgrazing. Cattle have a direct effect on any ecosystem where they graze. In a 1995 Wilderness Report, the U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region reported that the "impacts of long term overgrazing has deteriorated the ecosystems such that biodiversity and productivity in both riparian and uplands are 20% of potential." Cattle befoul water with feces that releases bacteria into the water; they trample plants in riparian areas seeking shade and water. Increased erosion in grazed lands causes a reduction in water quality by releasing sediment into the flow and changing water temperature and chemistry. The river areas will replenish if left alone, while the desert highlands, like much of the monument, are more fragile and take longer to recover from overgrazing. The National Monument was designated with the Antiquities Act of 1906, which gives the president or congress the authority to protect any land that has historic, scientific or archaeological significance. When ex-President Clinton designated the Agua Fria National Monument in January 2000, local politicians voiced their discontent; the Associated Press reported "state officials say the proposal will cause financial hardship to the local economy by removing the land from the tax base and scuttling business ventures." The same Associated Press article said Senator Jon Kyl wrote a letter urging Clinton not to go forward with the proposal. Kyl said it was "government by decree" and that " it would send a message that the federal government doesn't care what Arizonans think. It's wrong and I don't think the state of Arizona is going to stand by and let this happen." Despite the presence of cattle and political dissection of the issue, the monument remains under national protection today and for the foreseeable future, preserving the history of Arizona and the life that thrived here. |
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Last
updated: April 12, 2002 |
