Chiricahua national park in southeastern Arizona has been formally established as the country’s 64th national park after bipartisan legislation reached the White House and was signed by Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The 19-square-mile, or 49-square-kilometer, landscape sits within the traditional homeland of the Chiricahua Apache and is famed for hundreds of towering volcanic rock spires long known to Native communities as the Land of Standing-Up Rocks. The area was first protected as a national monument in the 1920s to conserve the distinctive pinnacles created by an ancient eruption.
Chiricahua national park preserves cultural access
The new law preserves tribal access for traditional ceremonies. It also allows temporary public closures to safeguard cultural uses, although specifics have not yet been determined, according to Representative Juan Ciscomani of Arizona.
Early settlers dubbed the site the Wonderland of Rocks, while the park’s name comes from the surrounding Chiricahua Mountains.
For centuries before removal in 1886, the region was home to Apache people, nomadic tribes who resisted European settlers and later clashed with newcomers until surrendering to U.S. troops. They were subsequently forced to the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
“Chiricahua’s towering rock spires, rich Apache heritage and remarkable biodiversity make it one of America’s most extraordinary landscapes,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, adding that the designation will help attract visitors, bolster local economies, and showcase the site more broadly.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona called the designation “a win” for southeastern Arizona communities and for those who worked to protect the area for future generations.
History from prehistoric peoples to Buffalo Soldiers
The National Park Service notes evidence of thousands of years of human use in the area, from prehistoric inhabitants to Buffalo Soldiers, the Black U.S. troops stationed at the monument following the Civil War during campaigns against Apache leaders Geronimo and Cochise.
President Calvin Coolidge established the monument in 1924 under the Antiquities Act, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded it in 1938. The site currently draws about 60,000 visitors each year.
“While its name is changing, our commitment remains the same: protecting this remarkable landscape and its cultural heritage while providing opportunities for visitors to experience and enjoy it for generations to come,” said Jessica Bowron, comptroller and acting director of the National Park Service.
Workforce cuts and maintenance priorities
The park service has experienced significant workforce reductions under Trump. Maintenance work at many locations, including Chiricahua, was categorized as low priority by officials who emphasized projects favored by the White House, such as repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Associated Press material contributed to this report.