by Amber Reimondo, Energy Director
According to a new poll, 80% of Arizona voters support Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. That's up from 75% who supported designating the monument back in 2023, just before the monument was officially created. And a supermajority of Arizonans — 88% — support the Antiquities Act, the law of that has allowed presidents of both parties to designate existing national public lands as national monuments since 1906.
Support for public lands and national monuments is strong across political parties and demographics. Let's dig into the poll results and try to understand why.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH YOUR COPY OF THE POLL RESULTS
See the slide deck of the poll's key findings ›
Read an overview of the poll's key findings in a memo from the polling firm ›
Public opinion research firm GQR conducted the survey of 500 registered Arizona voters in December 2024 and the results were publicly released on January 14, 2025.
Arizona is the Grand Canyon state, so it's no surprise that national parks and monuments are hugely popular with voters here. In fact, the poll shows that 97% of voters agree that national parks and monuments and their natural beauty are essential to Arizona and 93% agree that public lands are essential for guaranteeing access to outdoor recreation in the state. One might expect as much in a state where 79% of voters say outdoor recreation, like hiking, fishing, and hunting, is an important part of their lives.
And 91% of Arizonans agree that the government has a responsibility to protect public lands.
Because Arizonans value public lands, it's no surprise that 88% of voters support presidents continuing to have the ability to designate existing public lands as national monuments under the Antiquities Act of 1906. This support is up from 85% in 2022 and includes 82% of Republicans. History buffs may recall that Grand Canyon National Park itself was designated a national monument in 1908, before becoming a park in 1919.
In 2023, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni was designated, protecting existing public lands immediately outside the Grand Canyon as a national monument to protect public lands that Native American tribes consider sacred, wildlife habitats, and clean water supplies. The designation prevents new drilling and mining on those lands. When asked if they supported or opposed this designation, 80% of voters supported the monument.
Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni was designated at the request of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, a coalition of 13 Native American tribes with strong cultural connections to the area. Alongside Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni is an example of shared stewardship where tribal nations play a key role in helping to manage their ancestral lands. Arizona voters are supportive of this model, with 87% agreeing that Native American tribes should play a central role in protecting and managing ancestral lands.
The poll results are also clear when it comes to attacks on public lands: hands off, say Arizona voters. A full 75% of voters oppose selling off public lands, including a strong majority of Republicans (57%). More than two-thirds of Arizona voters oppose repealing the Antiquities Act. The poll also confirmed that voters of all political affiliations largely oppose the idea of rolling back protection for public lands.
So although Arizona voters may be divided on many issues, there is unity around national parks, national monuments, and protecting public lands in the Grand Canyon state.
80% of Arizona voters support Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni National Monument, according to a new poll.
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