Supervisors Horstman and Fowler Appointed to Serve on National Monument Advisory Committee

by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to serve on the Monument Advisory Committee (MAC) for the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

These prestigious appointments highlight both Supervisors’ longstanding dedication to preserving Northern Arizona’s natural and cultural heritage, as well as their commitment to representing the diverse voices of their constituents. With their fellow committee members, Supervisors Horstman and Fowler will work closely with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to provide guidance on the monument’s preservation, sustainable management, and protection of its inhabitants and ecosystems.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this important role,” said Supervisor Fowler. “The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni monument not only features a breathtaking landscape but also symbolizes the ancestral footprints of Indigenous communities that have lived in harmony with this land for centuries. I am committed to protecting the monument, advocating for its careful stewardship by protecting traditional land uses such as logging, hunting, fishing, grazing, and ranching and ensuring it remains a beacon of cultural and environmental significance for generations to come.”

Both supervisors look forward to a productive and impactful 2025, working alongside fellow committee members and federal agencies to ensure the monument’s legacy is honored and protected. Coconino County remains dedicated to preserving Northern Arizona’s natural and cultural treasures to ensure a sustainable future for all who call this region home.

“As a conservationist and outdoor recreation enthusiast, I have a decades long love affair with public lands and, most particularly, the Grand Canyon. As the District 1 Supervisor, it has been my honor to serve and represent the diverse people and cultures within Coconino County and Supervisory District 1,” added Supervisor Horstman. “District 1 includes an extensive swath of the 1 million acres of the Monument. Recognizing the important cultural, historic, environmental, economic, and recreational importance of this Monument, I look forward to being a part of the collaborative effort to develop a management plan that recognizes the Indigenous people that have called these sacred lands home, and to preserve and protect these public lands for future generations.”

The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument Advisory Committee is chartered in accordance with the Presidential Proclamation that created the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The goal of the MAC is to provide advice and information to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture through the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, relating to the development of the monument’s management plan. The MAC may also, where appropriate, give advice on management of the National Monument.