President Trump on Tuesday signed legislation that turns Chiricahua National Monument, a Cochise County landmark famed for its rhyolite rock formations, into Chiricahua National Park, according to the White House. The redesignation gives Arizona its fourth national park, joining Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro.
The park bill was one of 10 measures the president signed into law that day. Four of the others concern specific tracts of land. One requires the agriculture secretary to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site on the Tonto National Forest to Gila County, Arizona. Another requires the transfer of land in Anchorage to the Southcentral Foundation, and a third takes land in Washington state into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. At Vicksburg National Military Park, the interior secretary must convey about seven acres inside the park's boundaries to Mississippi so the state can build a new interpretive center.
The remaining five are national in scope. The Romance Scam Prevention Act requires online dating services to send a fraud ban notification to a member who has received a message from someone banned for fraudulent activity. The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act directs the labor secretary to train certain Labor Department employees to recognize trafficking and help law enforcement prevent it in the course of their official duties. The License to Drill Act extends the Interior Department's authority to collect certain processing fees on oil and gas permit applications.
Under the Clergy Act, ministers, members of religious orders and Christian Science practitioners get a two-year period to apply to the Internal Revenue Service to revoke their exemption from Social Security coverage. The Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act orders the Commerce Department to study the costs, benefits and feasibility of producing in the United States any high-demand product that is being imported because of a manufacturing, material or supply chain constraint.
The Chiricahua measure had backing from both parties. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a Republican who represents Arizona's 6th District, and Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat from the 4th District, introduced it in the House, The Arizona Republic reported, while Arizona's two Democratic senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, introduced it in the Senate. The Senate approved the bill on Sept. 30.
"Making Chiricahua Arizona's fourth national park is a huge win for our state," Stanton told the Republic. He said the designation would preserve one of Arizona's greatest natural treasures and draw visitors from around the world, bringing new economic opportunity to the southern part of the state. Kelly, who has championed the redesignation since 2021, called the signing "a historic day for Arizona" and said in a statement that the bipartisan effort was "a win for the communities in southeastern Arizona and for everyone who worked to protect this extraordinary place so our kids and our grandkids can enjoy it."
Like the Grand Canyon, Chiricahua was protected as a national monument before it became a national park. President Calvin Coolidge established the monument in 1924, more than a century ago. The roughly 12,000-acre site lies on a mountain range historically inhabited by the Apache people, and the Chiricahuas are one of Arizona's sky islands, isolated ranges that rise above the surrounding deserts and grasslands.
An eight-mile scenic drive leads to Massai Point, with balanced rocks visible along the way, and the park has 17 miles of hiking trails, including the Bonita Creek Loop. The International Dark Sky Association classifies Chiricahua as a Dark Sky Place, which has made it a destination for stargazers.