Ciscomani leads celebration of new Chiricahua National Park in Cochise County

Backed by a towering “Wonderland of Rocks,” U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani celebrated the signing of a long-sought measure to create Chiricahua National Park in Southeastern Arizona.

The bill to upgrade the former Chiricahua National Monument became law Tuesday.

Ciscomani was joined by Interior Secretary Burgum and Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock to mark the occasion, along with the monument’s Superintendent Bud Kaiser, and about 50 supporters.

Championed by Ciscomani, H.R. 6830 passed the Senate on Sept. 30, and was sent to the White House last week. On Tuesday, while Burgum joined Ciscomani in Arizona, President Donald Trump signed the bill into law, transforming Cochise County’s 12,000-acre national monument into a national park.

The celebration took place roughly an hour after Trump signed the bill into law Tuesday afternoon.

The range of hoodoos and balancing rocks was established as a national monument in April 1924, but with the bill’s signing it became the nation’s 64 national park, and the fourth in Arizona.

“This morning, there were only 63 flagship national parks in America, but today, thanks to President Trump’s signature, we have 64. Congratulations,” Burgum said.

In September, Ciscomani praised the law’s passage through the Senate. “It’s been a long hike, but we’re at the summit. After years of work and persistence, Arizona is one signature away from having its fourth national park,” he said.

“This is a gift. A gift to America, a gift to the American people, many who now will add to their plans to make a trip to this special spot,” Burgum said Tuesday. “Come to experience a landscape like no other. Help us care for it, so that future generations can stand here and look across this extraordinary place, and feel that same sense of wonder that those that first came here did.”

He said despite the name change, the mission of the park remains the same, “to preserve these natural and cultural resources unimpaired for the enjoyment of this and future generations.”

Interior ‘chasing down’ funding for parks

Burgum said the Interior Department is currently working on backlog of deferred maintenance across the national park system, adding “it’s one of the thing we’re most focused on.”

He said Congress has helped made the biggest dents in deferred maintenance by passing the Great American Outdoors Act, which he said has delivered billions of dollars, “the largest public investment in the national park system history.”

He said the White House has told the Interior Department to take the lead “in chasing down and working with Congress” for more funding, and they are pursuing a second version of the act for more investments.

The Association of National Park Rangers praised the new park, but criticized Burgum’s tenure, accusing him of “hollowing the National Park Service and starving Arizona’s national parks of the funding and staff they need to survive.”

The group said during Burgum’s first six months, he slashed staff by 24 percent, and Arizona was among the top 10 states for public land job losses in 2025. The group added while Grand Canyon and other parks are waiting on funding, Burgum sent millions to the failed reflecting pool renovation and other priorities in Washington D.C.

“Chiricahua itself is waiting on funding for three crucial maintenance projects, including emergency mold abatement,” the group added.

“Since week one, Secretary Burgum has systematically dismantled the National Park Service by firing staff, cutting budgets, and redirecting visitor entrance fees to President Trump’s vanity projects in Washington, D.C.,” said Bill Wade, executive director of the park rangers group.

“Arizona’s national parks are at a breaking point, but instead of investing limited resources in visitor safety and other park needs Secretary Burgum is spending his time quarterbacking President Trump’s golf course renovation and fountain repairs.”

The group added Grand Canyon is still waiting on funding for recovery work and safety upgrades following last year’s Dragon Bravo fire and recent flash floods, said Rob Arnberger, former superintendent of Grand Canyon and Saguaro National Parks.

“It’s inexcusable for our Interior secretary to trumpet a new national park designation while he refuses to take care of the places that his department has been charged with stewarding for more than a century,” Arnberger said.

Burgum said the the change of a monument to a national park is “one of the most powerful brands” in America. He said the change will likely drive more people to the Chiricahuas.

“When there’s more visitation, then we have to do our job for the National Park Service flagship parks where we put more dollars in in terms of infrastructure — whether it’s water system, sewer, trail maintenance, the interpretation, visitor centers.”

“All those budgets get bigger once you become a national park,” Burgum said.

‘No better way to celebrate’ 250th birthday

Ciscomani said the park has “long deserved this designation” and said it was the second bill he introduced in Congress during his first 100 days. “I am proud to have worked across the aisle and across both chambers to deliver this victory for our district. This is an Arizona priority and a true team effort. I’m grateful to our local partners, including the city of Willcox, public lands advocates, and everyone who has worked alongside us to make this happen.”

“There is no better way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday than by designating a new national park, and, thanks to Rep. Ciscomani’s tireless efforts, that idea is now a reality,” said Bruce Westerman, the chairman of House Natural Resources. “After years of hard work, Chiricahua will now take its place among our country’s 63 crown jewel national parks – often referred to as ‘America’s Best Idea.’”

Yellowstone was the first national park, established in 1872,, while New River Gorge was established during the Biden administration in December 2020.

Under the legislation, the 102-year-old Chiricahua National Monument became the state’s fourth national park, joining Saguaro National Park in Southern Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park in Northern Arizona, and Petrified Forest National Park in Eastern Arizona.

Saguaro National Park was created as a monument in 1933, but was elevated to national park status by Congress in 1994.

Ciscomani said the change would help attract additional visitors to Southeastern Arizona, supporting local tourism and economic growth throughout Cochise County and in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District where he faces a neck-and-neck battle against Democrat JoAnna Mendoza.

Ciscomani noted the Apache tribe’s roots in the area, and the county’s namesake being the “great chief Cochise.”

“That story continues today with the Apache people that are represented in Arizona, and the work that was done jointly with the tribal members to honor mutual interest and practices,” he said. “This couldn’t have been done without their support and input along the way that made this designation actually stronger. This is still a sacred area for tribal nations to practice religious ceremonies.”

Ciscomani referred back to the nation’s 250th birthday, celebrated in July. “If you wanna look at things that define us as this country in its 250th anniversary, just look at that. All these lands that belong to all of us, not just the wealthy and the privileged.”

First introduced by then-Rep. Martha McSally, there have been multiple attempts to make Chiricahua monument a national park. Ciscomani introduced the bill twice, once in each Congress he’s served: the first time in 2023 and again this year.

After remarks, Ciscomani and Burgum unveiled the new sign for Chirachahua National Park and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Just moments later, the national park received its first visitor: Armand Santilli, an Arizona resident from Casa Grande who was surprised by the ceremony.

Santilli received a new park sticker from Burgum before speaking to reporters.

Willcox Mayor Greg Hancock said the creation of a national park is “not just a name change, it represents investment in rural America, a commitment to preserving one of the nation’s greatest natural treasures, and an opportunity that will benefit generations to come.”

“We didn’t pursue this designation simply to put a name on a sign, we pursued it because we believe in the future of our community,” he said, adding the national park status will bring “national recognition, increase tourism opportunities and potential for new business and investment in Willcox and throughout Southern Arizona.”

“There is a symbiotic relationship between our national parks and entrance communities,” said Burgum. “When we see something go from monument status to park status, there is an opportunity for the community of Willcox and for this part of Arizona to see increased visitation.”

The new park received widespread praise.

“Today is a historic day for Arizona,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly in a news release. “Making Chiricahua a national park has been a priority of mine since I first came to the Senate, so I’m thriled this day has finally arrived,” said Kelly. “A bipartisan effort from the start, this is a win for the communities in southeastern Arizona and for everyone who worked to protect this extraordinary place so our kids and our grandkids can enjoy it.”

“As a native Arizonan, I am so excited to celebrate the birth of our state’s fourth national park. Chiricahua National Park is incredibly deserving of the title and all of the benefits that come with it,” Zyanya Figueroa, conservation associate

“We thank Rep. Ciscomani, Sen. Gallego, Sen. Kelly and President Trump for pushing this across the finish line. We hope to see more efforts from Congress and the president to protect our beautiful public lands,” Figueroa said.