To the editor:

With just weeks to Election Day, it is becoming more apparent that President Obama’s days left in office are numbered, but that has not deterred him from continuing to protect the places we love.

Recently, Obama declared three national monuments in Hawaii, Maine and a region in the Atlantic. He is on a roll and no doubt a champion of conservation. But when does our conservation leader plan to protect 1.7 million acres around the Grand Canyon threatened by toxic uranium mining?

The partisan divide in our country has become increasingly evident. Yet when I talk to people about protecting the Grand Canyon and ending uranium mining in the area, ideology rarely comes into the conversation. Rather, hope that the jaw-dropping beauty of the Grand Canyon will remain unscathed for future generations consistently triumphs over partisan politics. As Americans, we care about preserving our American icon and not allowing uranium mining to destroy its natural beauty. Here in Washington and all across the country we are asking Obama to protect our national icon forever. It is time to put aside whatever partisan politics are holding him back and create the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

REBECCA HOUSKE

Seattle