FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between a National Monument and a National Park? What is the same?
What is the difference between a National Monument and a National Park? What is the same?
A National Monument is created by a proclamation signed by the President. Typically, it preserves a few significant natural, historic or cultural features. The President can also change a National Monument. A National Park is created by congressional legislation. Typically, these preserve many significant features for preservation and are often larger in size than National Monuments. Only Congress can change the status or size of a National Park. Many National Monuments and all National Parks are administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife also manages National Monuments.
Why is this proposed and what are the benefits?
First, the designation as a National Park would likely attract more visitors to the park. This would benefit the whole region where tourism has become the dominate economic driver. The Arizona communities of Tohono O’odham Nation, Ajo, Why, and Gila Bend would directly benefit. Also, the communities in Sonora, Mexico would likely benefit. Currently, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument contributes an estimated $13 million to the region’s economy. On average, when a National Monument is re-designated as a National Park, about 20% more visitors come annually. In 2024, 182,000 visitors came to the park. International travelers are especially attracted to National Parks.
Second, Organ Pipe Cactus has 41 significant features that need continuing management for preservation. This number of significant features, by definition, puts Organ Pipe Cactus in the same class as Saguaro National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Big Bend National Park and along with many other National Parks. See the Significant Features page on this website.
Third, As a National Park, the profile of Organ Pipe Cactus would be elevated nationally and internationally and would likely receive more funding support as another example of America’s priority to be good stewards of its national treasures and be a higher priority within the National Park service.
What would change?
What would change?
To the visitor, probably very little at first. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument does not allow hunting, collecting, mining, cattle ranching, off-road vehicles, or camping outside of designated campgrounds. 95% of the park is designated wilderness. The park has a mature infrastructure of roads, buildings, utilities, parking, trails and campgrounds. No industry or private land owners would be removed. The boundaries would not change. Current agreements with the State of Arizona for Highway 85 and the Tohono O’odham Nation for access would remain in effect.
As the number of visitors increases, the National Park Service would need to plan, design and implement strategies to deal with this that protects the resource. Internally, National Park status would likely raise the management priorities around preservation, facilities, visitor and resource protection to a higher level within the agency.
How much would re-designation cost?
Initially not much. This would be the cost of new signage and branding of printed and electronic documents and other materials associated with a name change. The park’s infrastructure is in place that includes roads, trails, campgrounds, a visitor center, utilities, staffing and maintenance facilities. Again, as mentioned above, as the number of visitors increases over time and is beyond the current physical capabilities and new challeges arise, the National Park Service would need to address these through creation of a new General Management Plan.
What are the ramifications or downsides?
What are the ramifications or downsides?
Increased visitation will likely not increase immediately and would likely increase over time. The ramifications of more people and more vehicles will need to be addressed by the park’s managers. The National Park Service is the best federal agency to accomplish this because of its history and expertise from administering 433 units for over 100 years.
More cars could impact the need for more parking and impact the park’s roads. More people will impact the water, sewage systems, and wear and tear on restrooms and the visitor center. These will be issues for future park managers.
Much of the park’s infrastructure is in good condition and some of this infrastructure nearing its predicted lifespan. More visitation may accelerate the timeline of repairs and replacement. Eventually, additional staff and infrastructure may need to be added.
If there are people who oppose the change to a National Park, what are their reasons?
There is no known organized opposition. All of the reasons to oppose the prior attempts at re-designation are gone: mining, cattle, and off-road vehicle use.
Individual opposition is about the impact of having more people come to the park that could affect the individual’s desire for quiet and solitude that often draws visitors to this Gem of the Sonoran Desert. They do not want the park to look like the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Seasoned park managers, experienced design teams and proper planning and design could mitigate this issue.
There are questions about how the park would manage or address questions of growth, needed improvements, highway traffic, the desires of the Tohono O'odham Nation, etc. What about those questions?
There are questions about how the park would manage or address questions of growth, needed improvements, highway traffic, the desires of the Tohono O'odham Nation, etc. What about those questions?
Those answers cannot be predicted now. The answers would likely be in a park’s new General Management Plan that would need to be made when it becomes a National Park. The National Park Service creates a custom General Management Plan for each site and is developed through the application of the agency’s mission, best practices, and extensive input from the public, stakeholders, partners, neighbors, and organized groups who have an opinion about park operations and individual citizens. The current General Management Plan was adopted in 1997.
Who has previously endorsed or supported the re-designation to a National Park?
Senator John McCain
Secretary Stewart Udall
U.S. Rep Morris Udall
Bill Broyles
Charlie Babbitt
Clarke Abbey
Frank Walker
U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor
Bill Benolt
D. Dean Bibles
Charles Bowden
John Annerino
Alferto Burquez Montijo
Russ Butcher
Jose Campoy
Carlos Castillo
Aaron Cooper
Rick Daley
Jack Dykinga
Lorraine Marquez Eller
Roy Elson
Exequiel Ezcurra
Richard Felger
Ginger Harmon
Gayle Hartmann
William K. Hartmann
Peggy Larson
Merv Larson
Jack Loeffler
Michael C. Manning
Larry A. May
Mary Martha Miles
Gale Monson
Gary Pau Nabhan
Jon Shumaker
Sandy S. Smith
Dale Turner
Joseph C. Wilder
Terry Tempest Williams
Jeff Williamson
Caroline Wilson
Beth Woodin
Bill Woodin
David A. Yetman
Ann Zwinger
Organizations:
Ajo Chamber of Commerce
Pima County Board of Supervisors
National Parks and Conservation Association
Tucson Natural History Association
Tucson Chamber of Commerce
Media & Publications:
Ajo Copper News
The Arizona Republic
Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Capital Time
Arizona Daily Sun
High Country