A federal judge rejected a challenge from some of Arizona's top Republicans to undo the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.
Lawmakers have called the approximately 900,000-acre monument a “land grab” since it was designated by President Joe Biden in 2023.
Several high-ranking GOP legislators signed onto the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court last year, along with Mohave County and the communities of Colorado City and Fredonia.
The argument hinged on claims that the designation Biden overstepped his authority and violated the Antiquities Act of 1906 — the law designed to protect cultural and natural resources of historic or scientific interest on federal lands.
The lawsuit also argued that the existence of the monument cuts off access to mining activities, which the plaintiffs say will result in a loss of tax revenue and job opportunities.
In the Monday order, Judge Stephen McNamee wrote that the Legislature did not have the standing to sue as the body can't act on behalf of the state.
The monument near Grand Canyon National Park contains thousands of culturally and spiritually important sites sacred to multiple tribal nations, along with key water resources. The designation protects the land and blocks new uranium mining in the area.
It's not clear if the Legislature will appeal.
Heidi McIntosh, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office, said the nonprofit will continue to defend the monument as needed.
“We’ve been privileged to follow the lead of 11 Tribal Nations with deep cultural ties to the monument, and we will continue fighting to protect it from uranium mining and other threats so that future generations can benefit from this irreplaceable landscape," she said.