The city of Flagstaff near the Grand Canyon has joined forces with others who are opposing mining near the heritage park.
The City Council has passed a resolution last week that supports the decision of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to ban new hard rock mining claims in a million acre area outside the national park.
Grand Canyon view from Hermit's Rest
The resolution of the City Council finds that mining will certainly have a detrimental effect on the economy of the city of Flagstaff. The Indian tribes of the Northern Arizona region have opposed uranium mining on their reservations and in the general area around them.
Gov Jan Brewer is also a supporter of the cause and said that the economic impacts, energy independence and national security considerations support continued exploration. In the meanwhile Ken Salazar’s administration is studying if mining on these lands should be permanently banned.