Biden to create 5th national monument around the Grand Canyon

President Joe Biden announced the creation of a new national monument on Tuesday that is expected to surround the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 

It will be titled "The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument," and will ban new uranium mining claims in the region, according to Politico.

This will be the fifth monument designated by Biden during his presidency. 

The monument will be co-managed by Native American tribes and federal agencies through an established commission. 

“Establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument honors our solemn promise to Tribal Nations to respect sovereignty, preserves America’s iconic landscapes for future generations, and advances my commitment to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of our nation’s land and waters by 2030,” Biden said in a statement.

According to a White House fact sheet, the monument will preserve “thousands of cultural and sacred sites that are precious to Tribal Nations in the Southwest."

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory said that Biden's effort ensures "our national park sites tell a more complete story of our nation."

“By answering the call of tribal leaders to protect these lands as his fifth new national monument, President Biden is helping address injustices of the past,” Mallory said. “He is ensuring that the Grand Canyon, an iconic American treasure, will stay pristine for future generations.”