� Proclamation 7263-Establishment of the Agua Fria National Monument
January 11, 2000
� By the President of the United States of America
� A Proclamation
� The windswept, grassy mesas and formidable canyons of Agua Fria
National Monument embrace an extraordinary array of scientific and
historic resources. The ancient ruins within the monument, with
their breathtaking vistas and spectacular petroglyphs, provide a
link to the past, offering insights into the lives of the peoples
who once inhabited this part of the desert Southwest. The area's
architectural features and artifacts are tangible objects that can
help researchers reconstruct the human past. Such objects and, more
importantly, the spatial relationships among them, provide
outstanding opportunities for archeologists to study the way humans
interacted with one another, neighboring groups, and with the
environment that sustained them in prehistoric times.
� The monument contains one of the most significant systems of later
prehistoric sites in the American Southwest. Between A.D. 1250 and
1450, its pueblo communities were populated by up to several
thousand people. During this time, many dwelling locations in the
Southwest were abandoned and groups became aggregated in a
relatively small number of densely populated areas. The monument
encompasses one of the best examples of these areas, containing
important archeological evidence that is crucial to understanding
the cultural, social, and economic processes that accompanied this
period of significant change.
� At least 450 prehistoric sites are known to exist within the
monument and there are likely many more. There are at least four
major settlements within the area, including Pueblo La Plata, Pueblo
Pato, the Baby Canyon Ruin group, and the Lousy Canyon group. These
consist of clusters of stonemasonry pueblos, some containing at
least 100 rooms. These settlements are typically situated at the
edges of steep canyons, and offer a panorama of ruins, distinctive
rock art panels, and visually spectacular settings.
� Many intact petroglyph sites within the monument contain rock art
symbols pecked into the surfaces of boulders and cliff faces. The
sites range from single designs on boulders to cliffs covered with
hundreds of geometric and abstract symbols. Some of the most
impressive sites are associated with major pueblos, such as Pueblo
Pato.
� The monument holds an extraordinary record of prehistoric
agricultural features, including extensive terraces bounded by lines
of rocks and other types of landscape modifications. The
agricultural areas, as well as other sites, reflect the skills of
ancient residents at producing and obtaining food supplies
sufficient to sustain a population of several thousand people.
� The monument also contains historic sites representing early
Anglo-American history through the 19th century, including remnants
of Basque sheep camps, historic mining features, and military
activities.
� In addition to its rich record of human history, the monument
contains other objects of scientific interest. This expansive mosaic
of semi-desert grassland, cut by ribbons of valuable riparian
forest, is an outstanding biological resource. The diversity of
vegetative communities, topographical features, and relative
availability of water provide habitat for a wide array of sensitive
wildlife species, including the lowland leopard frog, the Mexican
garter snake, the common black hawk, and the desert tortoise. Other
wildlife is abundant and diverse, including pronghorn, mule deer,
and white-tail deer. Javelina, mountain lions, small mammals,
reptiles, amphibians, fish, and neotropical migratory birds also
inhabit the area, Elk and black bear are present, but less abundant.
Four species of native fish, including the longfin dace, the Gila
mountain sucker, the Gila chub, and the speckled dace, exist in the
Agua Fria River and its tributaries.
� Section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431)
authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public
proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric
structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest
that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the
Government of the United States to be national monuments, and to
reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in
all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the
proper care and management of the objects to be protected.
� Whereas it appears that it would be in the public interest to
reserve such lands as a national monument to,be known as the Agua
Fria National Monument:
� Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United
States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 2 of the
Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), do proclaim that
there are hereby set apart and reserved as the Agua Fria National
Monument, for the purpose of protecting the objects identified
above, all lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the
United States within the boundaries of the area described on the map
entitled Agua Fria National Monument" attached to and forming a part
of this proclamation. The Federal land and interests in land
reserved consist of approximately 71,100 acres, which is the
smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the
objects to be protected.
� For the purpose of protecting the objects identified above, all
motorized and mechanized vehicle use off road will be prohibited,
except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes.
� Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish
the jurisdiction of the State of Arizona with respect to fish and
wildlife management.
� The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing
rights.
� All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of
this monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms
of entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition
under the public land laws, including but not limited to withdrawal
from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and from
disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal
leasing, other than by exchange that furthers the protective
purposes of the monument. Lands and interests in lands within the
proposed monument not owned by the United States shall be reserved
as a part of the monument upon acquisition of title thereto by the
United States.
� There is hereby reserved, as of the date of this proclamation and
subject to valid existing rights, a quantity of water sufficient to
fulfill the purposes for which this monument is established. Nothing
in this reservation shall be construed as a relinquishment or
reduction of any water use or rights reserved orappropriated by the
United States on or before the date of this proclamation.
� The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument through the
Bureau of Land Management, pursuant to applicable legal authorities,
to implement the purposes of this proclamation.
� Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the Bureau of Land
Management in issuing and administering grazing leases on all lands
under its jurisdiction shall continue to apply with regard to the
lands in the monument.
� Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing
withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the national
monument shall be the dominant reservation.
� Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to
appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this monument
and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
� In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day
of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the
independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-fourth.
� William J. Clinton
� [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:45 a.m., lanuary
14.20001
� NOTE: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register
on January 18.
