Calling on President Obama to protect the Grand Canyon

Recent headlines have proclaimed President Obama to be a 21st-century Theodore Roosevelt and a champion of conservation. In the last two weeks alone, Obama permanently protected eighty-seven thousand acres in central Maine and nearly 300 million acres around Hawaii. With the end of Obama’s administration quickly approaching, he has been picking up his pen and ensuring the places we love are being protected for generations to come, but there is a big one he is forgetting: The Grand Canyon.

Last year, over 5.5 million people ventured from all around the world to see the beauty of the Grand Canyon, and more visitors are expected this year. Sadly, mining companies are pushing to open up the land around the Canyon to dig for uranium and other metals, which puts wildlife, the Colorado River watershed, and the health of local communities at risk.

We need to tell President Obama how much we love this great American icon and that he needs to protect the 1.7 million acres around the Canyon to ensure it remains in all its beauty for generations to come. I urge you to join me in calling on President Obama to leave a legacy as the president who protected the Grand Canyon forever by creating the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 8:43 AM with the headline "Calling on President Obama to protect the Grand Canyon."