In an exclusive statement to the Arizona Globe, State Senate President and Attorney General candidate Warren Petersen (R-LD14) explained a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requesting that the Trump administration restore Arizona’s rich uranium mining operations. The letter, in which Petersen requested a meeting with Bergum, addressed what Petersen called a “massive land grab” made by then-President Joe Biden. Petersen’s letter created political waves, particularly among the so-called “ecowarrior” class, due to its implications for reopening the now-protected lands to mining – for uranium and other rare minerals.

During his first term, President Trump narrowed the scope of national monument designations established by preceding Democrat presidents, particularly Barack Obama. However, in one of his earliest reversals of Trump’s policies, Biden reaffirmed Utah’s national monument designations and expanded its scope. Biden classified territory far outside the Grand Canyon Monument, naming it the “Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon Monument,” effectively blocking access to Arizona’s, and arguably, the nation’s, richest uranium and rare earth mining regions.

Petersen views the issue as a priority, telling the Globe, “We must act to help President Trump make America energy dominant and prevent productive American land from being captured by radical environmentalists.” He added that “millions of acres containing oil, gas, and critical minerals” are now locked up thanks to Democrat Presidents “abusing a century-old law.” Petersen advocates for national legislation mandating that future national monument designations require Congressional approval.

Criticism for Biden’s unprecedented move is not universal. Indigenous rights groups and environmentalists applauded his decision, expressing concerns that unrestricted uranium mining risks potential environmental contamination. They also cite a lack of emergency contingency planning.

Leona Morgan, an anti-nuclear activist, told the Globe, “if the AZ Senate President and Republicans get what they want, everyone can thank them for contaminating a world treasure and the Colorado River.”

However, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality disagrees with her assessment. They cite studies and hydrogeologic specialists concluding that the “impermeability and thickness of the rock layers between the bottom of the mine shaft and the Redwall-Muav Aquifer” makes the risk of contamination “virtually impossible.” A year ago, Petersen and other key Republicans in the state filed a lawsuit alleging that Biden didn’t have the authority to designate such a vast area near the Grand Canyon as a National Monument. They argued that the Antiquities Act, which Biden relied upon for his sweeping redesignation, was never meant for such a significant decision, having been explicitly enacted to protect small historical sites.

A judge threw out that lawsuit, with some arguing the dismissal was due to a lack of support from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Petersen focused on Mayes’ lack of support, telling the Globe, “Sadly, Kris Mayes went to court to defend the Biden Administration’s decision, which will block economic growth and keep America dependent on foreign adversaries for critical energy resources.”

He added that Arizonans “deserve an Attorney General who will fight for them, not for liberal elites who think they know better than we do.” To underscore his ire at Mayes, Petersen announced his intention to leave his roles as Arizona Senate President and LD14 Senator and challenge Mayes in the 2026 Attorney General race. Most political insiders believe Petersen is likely to beat her.

The Globe will continue to follow this story.