Cattle grazing at Arizona national monument harms endangered species

• Unauthorized cattle grazing at Agua Fria National Monument in Arizona is damaging the habitat of multiple endangered species. Both the federally protected Gila chub fish and western yellow-billed cuckoo are reportedly at risk.
• Up to 75% of Arizona’s wildlife species also depend on riparian habitats like those found in the monument. However, less than 1% of the state’s land offers suitable conditions.
• The Center for Biological Diversity criticized federal and state agencies for failing to prevent the ongoing harm and filed several lawsuits to have cattle removed from the area.

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Environmental advocates are raising concerns about unauthorized cattle grazing at Arizona’s Agua Fria National Monument. They say the activity is damaging a sensitive habitat that endangered species rely on.

Which species are at risk?

The Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit environmental organization, released new findings this week documenting the ongoing impacts of grazing on the monument’s ecosystem. According to the group, which has been monitoring the situation since 2021, the activity has now affected the area for five consecutive years, threatening two species protected under the Endangered Species Act –– the Gila chub fish and the western yellow-billed cuckoo.

Why is Agua Fria so important to these animals?

The Agua Fria National Monument, located north of Phoenix, is considered a vital refuge for wildlife in the region. Up to 75% of Arizona’s wildlife species depend on riparian habitats like those found in the monument. However, less than 1% of the state’s land offers suitable conditions.

Activists claim unauthorized cattle grazing is contributing to habitat degradation. They say it is eroding riverbanks, destroying native plant life, contaminating streams, and disturbing archaeological sites within the monument.

What actions have state and federal officials taken?

The Center for Biological Diversity criticized both state and federal agencies for what it describes as a failure to enforce legal protections meant to safeguard endangered species. Specifically, the group pointed to the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The group argues that these agencies are obligated to intervene when federally protected species are at risk.

“Our new survey shows that federal officials are continuing to allow cattle herds to trash endangered species habitat in a national monument, breaking the law,” Chris Bugbee, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said. “Federal agencies and the Arizona Game and Fish Department are complicit and choosing to look the other way, even as the wildlife they’re legally required to protect are pushed towards extinction.”

Since 2022, the Center has filed multiple lawsuits against the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service to force action. Initial legal efforts prompted federal officials to review the situation, but according to the Center, habitat loss has continued. In response, the organization filed a new lawsuit in 2024 seeking the removal of cattle from the monument.

The group highlighted Horseshoe Ranch as an area of particular concern. The Arizona Game and Fish Department purchased the property in 2010 using taxpayer dollars for endangered species conservation. However, according to the Center, recent surveys revealed grazing damage at Horseshoe Ranch, similar to other parts of the monument.

What happens next?

The Center for Biological Diversity wants government officials to understand the importance of addressing grazing impacts at Agua Fria to protect species already facing extinction threats in the American Southwest.

“We’ll be back year after year until agencies and cattle growers follow the law and keep their herds away from areas they don’t belong,” Bugbee said.