Rep. Gosar and Resources Committee Chairs Call on Forest Service to Withdraw Groundwater Directive

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after sending a letter with five other House Natural Resources Committee Chairmen to U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Tidwell urging the agency to withdraw its proposed Directive on Groundwater Resource Management:

"It has been universally recognized since a 1935 Supreme Court Case that the sole authority over groundwater resources belongs to individual states. This balance of power has always protected the specific and unique needs of every individual state so that they can better allocate and administer the groundwater resources that rightfully belong to the people of each state.

"Alarmingly, the attempted water grab by the USFS and its misguided groundwater directive was proposed without input from state or local leaders and without any meaningful outreach to water users themselves. The current draft of the proposed directive would expand federal authority into areas traditionally regulated by states, despite the fact that the USFS has shown no evidence that justifies the need for this new proposed policy.

"I was pleased to see the USFS put a temporary hold on their attempted water grab but now it is time to put an end to the uncertainty created by this disastrous proposal. Arizonans have had enough of the continued efforts by federal agencies attempting to gain more control over our precious resources. The USFS must formally withdraw this flawed rule once and for all."

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