On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) introduced the Chiricahua National Park Act, the latest effort to attract more tourism to the nearly 12,000-acre Chiricahua National Monument established in 1924 in southeastern Cochise County by a proclamation by President Calvin Coolidge.
“These unique formations draw visitors from across the nation and around the world to our state, and this tourism is an important part of our regional economy,” said Ciscomani. “With this legislation, the Chiricahuas will finally receive the designation they deserve. It is long overdue.” Partnering with Ciscomani on the bipartisan and bicameral bill is Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) as a co-sponsor.
“Arizona has the best national parks in the world,” said Sinema. “Adding Chiricahua National Monument as Arizona’s fourth national park will boost tourism, create jobs, and fuel opportunity in Cochise County.”
🏜️ The Grand Canyon.
🏔️ The Petrified Forest.
🌵 Saguaro National Park.What’s missing?
🪨 Chiricahua National Monument.
It's a natural treasure and it deserves to be a national park. Let’s make it happen. pic.twitter.com/I1T9kXBQiZ
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 9, 2023
According to the National Park Service, the main difference between a national monument and a national park is the reasons for which each is established. National parks are areas set apart by Congress for the use of the people of the United States generally with an emphasis on the land’s “inspirational, educational, and recreational values.”
National monuments, on the other hand, are areas reserved by presidential proclamation for the U.S. government to highlight or preserve objects of historic, prehistoric, or scientific interest.
Under Cicsomani’s proposed legislation, the boundaries of the Chiricahua National Park will be the boundaries of the CNM as of the date the Act takes effect. In
addition, any funds available for the CNM “shall be available for the National Park.”
Various bi-partisan efforts have been attempted over the year to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument In January 2022, then-U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick championed the effort once again, also with Kelly in support. The Senate passed the bill last year but it did not make it out of the House.
The effort to redesignate CNM has a precedent in Arizona – in 1994, Congress approved the Saguaro National Park out of the Saguaro National Monument created 60 years earlier by President Herbert Hoover.
For Ciscomani, the Chiricahua National Monument has long been a beloved landmark in southern Arizona. He pointed to the widespread regional support of the bill, including from the Cochise County Board of Supervisors and municipalities such as Benson, Bisbee, Huachuca City, and Willcox.
County Supervisor Ann English, a member of Ciscomani’s Citizens Advisory Council, noted the change would have a much needed economic boon for the area. It would also put the “new” Chiricahua National Park on the bucket list of park enthusiasts.
“National Park designation for the Chiricahua National Monument would alert more travelers nationwide to the unique beauty and history of Southeastern Arizona,” said English.
The Arizona Trail Association also supports the Chiricahua National Park legislation, according to Matthew Nelson, the group’s executive director.
“Having a National Park and a National Scenic Trail in Cochise County is going to have a profoundly positive impact on our rural communities,” said Nelson. “The Arizona Trail Association fully supports Congressman Ciscomani’s bill, and we look forward to working with our local partners to make this long-awaited dream a reality.” According to the National Park Service, a Jesuit named Juan Nentvig explained in the mid-1700s that Chiricahua – pronounced cheer-i-cow-ah with a long e and short i vowel sounds – is an Opata word meaning wild turkey. But 200 years later most of the wild turkeys that once flourished in the area were wiped out.
In 2003, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation successfully reintroduced several wild turkeys into the area.
The Chiricahua National Park Act is Ciscomani’s second introduced legislation. Earlier this week he filed his first bill, the Veterans’ Appeals Backlog Improvement Act, to reduce wait times for veterans seeking disability benefits.