A bill to re-designate Chiricahua National Monument as Arizona’s fourth national park has passed the U.S. Senate unanimously.
The bill was introduced last spring by Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and cosponsored by Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
Chiricahua National Monument was established in 1924 by a Presidential Proclamation meant to preserve in perpetuity unique geologic features known as rhyolite rock spires. They are remnants of one of the largest known volcanic eruptions about 27 million years ago.
Senator Kelly says of the bill, the Chiricahuas deserve the highest designation and that making it a national park would boost tourism in Arizona and create more jobs in the region.