/ Modified apr 4, 2022 4:02 p.m.

Senate votes to make Arizona monument a national park

Chiricahua National Monument encompasses more than 12,000 acres.

Chiricahua landscape Chiricahua National Monument.
AZPM

A bill proposed by Senator Mark Kelly to make the Chiricahua National Monument into a national park has unanimously passed the United States Senate.

The Chiricahua National Park Act, which Kelly introduced last April, was co-sponsored by Senator Kyrsten Sinema, and was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.

Kelly called the monument a natural wonder that deserves to be designated as a national park. He says creating the park would boost tourism and create much needed jobs in Cochise County and southeastern Arizona.

The Chiricahua National Monument, once home to the Chiricahua Apache tribe, was established in 1924 by Presidential Proclamation.

It encompasses more than 12,000 acres and includes an 8-mile paved scenic drive, 25 individual campsites and 17-miles of day-use hiking trails.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona