Raúl Grijalva

I look forward to working with you on the many pressing issues facing the BLM.

Mr. Secretary, let me first tell you how many of us are pleased with the administration of your Department, many initiatives, much movement in the first 7 months with an Interior than we saw for the previous 10 years.

The Grand Canyon, to me, and not just from Arizona, is one of the shared treasures of this country.

Thank you. Mr. Hedden, it was stated that you misrepresented the Kanab spill.

I think the legislative history you have provided in your testimony was important in disputing that claim, but I am wondering, were there other instances in which Chairman Udall advocated revisiting or expanding on his own legislative…

The intent of this legislation, from the onset, and it continues to be its intent, is to protect and preserve the Grand Canyon for future generations.

Thank you. Just a couple of quick follow-ups.

One other point, Mr. Trautwein. As you know, there was a letter to me from Senator Kyle and Senator McCain that specifically said that AWA foreclosed Congress from taking any further action on the lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon.

Uranium mining is threatening the sacred places and waters of people who have lived in the Grand Canyon for centuries.

Chairman Grijalva, thank you for your leadership and thanks to those members of the Committee who joined in taking this decisive action to halt new mining claims.

Mo strongly opposed that position. His belief was that these lands should be reviewed again periodically under the National Forest Management Act by the Forest Service and, potentially, by Congress, and he eventually won that argument.

Raul, congratulations, and then underneath it, Are you sure about this?

But it should be noted that the beginning of these claims, including the one in Redwall-Muav, that Forest Service was trying to exempt the NEPA process for many of these claims.

It is simply incorrect to state, as one letter does, that the Arizona Wilderness Act was designed to 'ensure that the Grand Canyon watershed was fully protected.'

The extraction appropriately belongs here.

And the Chinese are making treaties and buying into some of the mining entities abroad which we are relying upon?

We support the permanent withdrawal of the lands within Coconino County.

This is a vital step. I commend the President and Secretary Salazar for their leadership on this issue.

Until we have a better understanding of the impact the uranium boom will have on this American landmark, and what impact it will have on the water source of the West, the Colorado River, the Administration is right to provide a timeout, to…

Like the Statue of Liberty, or the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building just across the street from us, the Grand Canyon is one of the most instantly recognizable icons in the world.

Thank you very much. Mr. Chair?

Therefore, I support passage of H.R. 644.

We all share a responsibility to try to maintain what is there for future generations.

I agree that the legislation before us on climate change is imperative and necessary.

Climate change, or I would say climate disruption, represents a challenge to our civilization and life on this planet like nothing before it.