Chiricahua National Park Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. CISCOMANI. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman and my colleague, Representative Wittman, for this time.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Chiricahua National Park Act.
I also thank my colleague from Maryland because these were not easy words to pronounce: Chiricahua, javelinas, and so on. Arizona threw her a curveball on this one, but she did very well with all of that.
For more than a century, the remarkable landscape of Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona has inspired visitors from across the country. Known as the Wonderland of Rocks, this extraordinary area protects towering volcanic rock formations, deep canyons, and one of the most biologically diverse mountain ranges in the entire Southwest.
For the people of Cochise County and southeastern Arizona, Chiricahua is more than a beautiful landscape. It is a source of pride, a place where families enjoy the outdoors, and a very important part of the region's identity.
This legislation simply redesignates the monument as a national park, recognizing its national significance without expanding its footprint or changing existing land management.
Just as important, this bill supports economic opportunity in rural Arizona. The redesignation would help raise Chiricahua's national profile, attract more visitors, and strengthen tourism across southeastern Arizona. That is why this effort is widely supported by the local business community, along with local leaders and stakeholders who see the potential for responsible economic growth tied to outdoor recreation and conservation.
Arizona is already home to world-renowned parks like Grand Canyon National Park, Saguaro National Park, and Petrified Forest National Park. With this legislation, we would add another extraordinary landscape to this list.
Madam Speaker, this is a commonsense, bipartisan step that protects a national treasure in my district while supporting rural communities.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Chiricahua National Park Act.
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