In politics, it often feels as though common ground is in short supply. But in Arizona, a bedrock principle continues to bridge our deepest political divides: the fundamental duty to steward our public lands and protect the water that makes life in the desert possible.

As conservatives, our core philosophy is rooted in conservation—an obligation to preserve our state’s natural heritage, foster economic vitality, and ensure our foundational resources are managed responsibly for generations to come. Recent debate regarding federal national monument designations in the Southwest has raised concerns over potential size reductions or rollbacks. In Arizona, places like Ironwood Forest National Monument near Tucson and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument are not just scenic landscapes; they are vital safeguards for our state’s water security, outdoor economy, and western heritage.

New statewide polling conducted in August by Echelon Insights on behalf of The Wilderness Society demonstrates that Arizonans overwhelmingly agree on this issue. A full 83% of Arizona voters oppose eliminating national monument lands in our state, including 71% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Even more striking, 93% of all voters—and 88% of Republicans—agree that protecting Arizona’s public lands should not be a partisan issue.

At the center of this broad consensus is a priority every Arizonan understands: water security. Protecting our water supply is rated as a top priority by 86% of all voters and 83% of Republicans. Furthermore, 89% of Arizonans (and 81% of Republicans) recognize that protecting clean drinking water sources—such as the critical watersheds guarded by Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni that feed into the Colorado River and supply metropolitan areas like Phoenix and Tucson—is a primary reason to protect public lands. Arizonans recognize that jeopardizing these protected watersheds risks our long-term economic stability and security.

Protecting public lands is also sound economic policy. Tourism, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation generate billions of dollars in local spending and support thousands of Arizona jobs. By a margin of 73% to 18% (and 54% to 32% among Republicans), voters agree that protecting public lands to attract visitors and outdoor recreation is better for Arizona’s economy than cutting protections for resource extraction.

This is why 84% of voters (74% of Republicans) support protecting Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni as it currently stands, and 72% (56% of Republicans) say the same for Ironwood Forest National Monument.

Elected leaders from both parties must take note. Preserving Arizona’s national monuments is not about ideology; it is about protecting clean drinking water, honoring Tribal cultural heritage, and securing our economic future. Protecting public lands is a conservative value, and Arizonans stand united in ensuring our monuments remain intact.

Matt Salmon represented Arizona’s 1st and 5th Congressional Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001 and 2013 to 2017. He previously served as Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party and as a member of the Arizona State Senate.