Earlier today the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced a 20-year moratorium on new uranium and other hard rock mining claims on roughly 1-million acres of land surrounding the Grand Canyon. 

Paddlers requested that the Secretary do just this in March of 2011 as the federal government formally considered the merits of allowing or prohibiting new mining claims.  Our letter can be downloaded from the box to the right of this article.  American Whitewater also collaborated with our partners in the Outdoor Alliance to support protections for the Grand Canyon. 

New (as well as existing) mining claims could threaten the water quality and quantity of cherished Grand Canyon tributaries like Havasu Creek, Kanab Creek, and the azure Little Colorado River.  

We would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to Secretary Salazar, his staff, and the administration for acting as responsible stewards of one of America's most treasured places.