Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2005

H.R. 1199, the Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2005, would have required the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to conduct a joint study of federal, state, and private lands surrounding the Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona. The study’s purpose was to evaluate various management options for the area, including potential boundary adjustments, the creation of a new national park or preserve, or maintaining the current management under the U.S. Forest Service.

For local citizens and visitors, the bill aimed to determine the best way to protect the canyon’s natural and cultural resources while maintaining public access and existing land uses. The process would have involved collaboration between federal agencies, a third-party consultant, and local government officials from Flagstaff and Coconino County to ensure community interests were considered in future conservation plans. Although introduced in 2005, the bill did not advance past the committee stage and never became law.