On August 16, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the Great Bend of the Gila Conservation Act (H.R. 8719) which would establish the 330,000-acre Great Bend of the Gila National Conservation Area, the 47,000-acre Paolo Verde National Conservation Area, and nearly 60,000 acres of new wilderness.

The legislation also includes provisions that would enhance the role of tribal governments in the land management process. The National Trust and our partners have long advocated for the protection of the unique and sacred Great Bend of the Gila landscape—one of the most significant cultural sites in the Southwest where at least 13 federally recognized tribes maintain cultural connections.

The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that the Trust has advocated for as part of the Great Bend of the Gila campaign, and more details about the bill provisions can be found on a House Natural Resources Committee fact sheet.