PHOENIX, July 15 (UPI) -- Around 1 million acres of land on the northern rim of Arizona's Grand Canyon have been turned over to a trust organization for restoration.
The Arizona Republic said Thursday the $4.5 million purchase by the Grand Canyon Trust would include 100,000 acres of privately owned rangeland and grazing rights on another 900,000 acres of adjacent federal lands.
A minimum number of grazing permits called for in current leases will remain in effect.
The lands are nestled along the north side of Grand Canyon National Park and are bordered by a number of other national forests and monuments.
The newspaper said the lands had taken a beating from decades of drought and livestock grazing. The Trust plans to give the pastures a break so they can recover to a healthier condition.
