This bill would establish a new 376,963-acre national monument in Arizona called the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument, managed by the Interior Department primarily to protect Indigenous heritage, archaeological sites, and natural resources in the region. The monument would be managed with significant input from Native American tribes through a newly created Tribal Commission, and the law requires the Interior Department to develop a comprehensive management plan within three years that incorporates tribal expertise and traditional ecological knowledge. The legislation allows existing activities like grazing, hunting, and livestock management to continue, and it protects existing water rights and does not restrict military operations or utility infrastructure in the area, though it prohibits new roads and motorized vehicle routes except for emergency or administrative purposes. The bill requires the Interior Department to work with tribes on sacred site protection and cultural resource preservation, and authorizes contracts with tribes to help manage the monument's resources through existing federal self-determination programs.
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