The Arizona State Parks Board yesterday named the future site of the Yarnell Hill Memorial. By unanimous vote, the Board adopted “Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park” as the official site name.
In 2014, House Bill 2624 tasked the Board with purchasing the site and establishing a memorial park. The Board, which is chaired by Arizona State Parks Executive Director Sue Black, is working with elected officials and family members of the 19 wildland firefighters to create a place to pay tribute to the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
House Bill 2624 also set aside $500,000 for the purchase of the State Trust land on which this tragedy occurred. On June 30, 2015, Parks will attend a public auction and bid on this 320-acre parcel. Following a successful bid, Parks will designate the land as a memorial to the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who sacrificed their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013.
The name, “Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park,” was chosen after thorough consultation with the Yarnell Hill Memorial Site Board Design Subcommittee and the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
“This is a historic moment and Arizona State Parks and the Board are proud to be part of the process,” said Arizona State Parks Board Chairman R.J. Cardin. “We continue to work to make the site a special place that will honor the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who lost their lives there.”
“As a former Type II crew member with the NWFD, which became the Ironwood Hotshots, I know too well the hazard that these brave souls faced. This reminder of their commitment to the duty they assumed and their sacrifice, should new Memorial Park should act as a reminder of the those we’ve loved; and the danger and consequence that poor lands management can present to our communities,” stated State Rep. Mark Finchem.