About this National Monument and the attempts to make it a National Park
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was created in 1937.
516 square miles of the Sonoran Desert was set aside by President Franklin Roosevelt's signature on a proclamation to preserve the only place in the U.S where the Organ Pipe Cactus occurs naturally. Saguaro and Joshua Tree National Monuments were created during the same period. Today, those are National Parks.
Soon after its creation, many other significant attributes were discovered. See the Page, "Significant Features."
Today, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument can be changed, reduce in size or eliminated by the President. If it was a National Park, Congress would have to approve. Simply, there is more protection as a National Park.
The Gem Of The Sonoran Desert
The Early Attempts
The Early Attempts
The 1st Attempt. Soon after the National Monument was created in 1937, some senior park service officials suggested that it should be a National Park. The momentum for this ended with the tragic death of two senior NPS officials who led the effort.
The 2nd Attempt. In 1946, the Ajo Chamber of Commerce proposed the name change to Arizona Desert National Park. This was opposed by Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Cattleman’s Association, and the Arizona Land Commissioner. The bill died in the Senate.
It Almost Happened, the 3rd Attempt
It Almost Happened, the 3rd Attempt
Congressional approval, both the Senate and House of Representatives, did occur in 1968 when Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall proposed creating Sonoran Desert National Park by combining Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and portions of the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range into one park, about 6 million acres big that would have been one of the largest National Parks in the lower 48 states. The National Park Service did a detailed study. Opposition was from the mining and cattle ranching industries that were using the National Monument, and off-road vehicle groups using the National Wildlife Refuge. President Johnson did not sign the legislation before leaving office.
The 4th Attempt - Lost During The Post 9/11 Era
The 4th Attempt - Lost During The Post 9/11 Era
In 1999, a citizen’s group started the work at creating Sonoran Desert National Park using the same proposal in 1968. Many endorsements came from conservation groups, chambers of commerce, natural history associations, and major newspapers. A study of the economic impacts was done. This effort peaked in 2001. The legislation died when it did not get of the House Natural Resources Committee during the turbulent post 911 era and the focus on national security.
Today. The current General Management Plan for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument proposes the re-designation writing, “The NPS would support legislation to change the name of this beautiful land from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to Sonoran Desert National Park. This would not change the NPS’s authority of responsibilities in this area in any, alter funding or direction. It is partly for reasons of keeping the monument intact that the NPS proposes re-designation legislation.”