House Passes Gosar-Hardy Amendment Blocking Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument

Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House successfully passed an amendment by a vote of 222-206 that he spearheaded along with Congressman Cresent Hardy (NV-04) to prohibit public land management agencies from carrying out declarations under the Antiquities Act in counties where there is significant local opposition:

"Arizona has experienced significant harm from special land use designations like this in the past. Unfortunately, certain special interest groups and a few misguided members of Arizona's delegation have been pushing for the President to circumvent Congress and make a massive 1.7 million acre designation using the Antiquities Act for the Grand Canyon Watershed. Their intentions are clear: they want this designation in order to prevent hunting, mining, timber harvesting and grazing on this massive swath of land.

"A unilateral declaration of the nearly two million acres in the Grand Canyon Watershed as a National Monument would stifle development, kill jobs and erode the extensive cooperation and success that federal and state agencies in Arizona have achieved to date. The Antiquities Act has been significantly abused by this rogue president and today the House took bold action to prevent future executive land grabs throughout the country."

Some of the concerns that have been expressed by local communities and organizations include:

"The creation of a National Monument by President declaration does not allow for input from local communities…; could result negative impacts… for grazing, hunting, water development and forest restoration…which would result in negative economic and public health impacts to the City of Williams."

"The Town Council of the Town of Fredonia is concerned that the impact from the Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument "on the Town and its citizens includes but is not limited to: (a) the closing of three businesses…(b) the impairment of small independent businesses…(c) expected reduction or even extinction of local ranching efforts…(d) loss of recreation and tourism…"

"In closing, we believe the proposal is a clear attempt to by-pass the ongoing planning and management efforts that serve wildlife, wildlife habitat, and the public well with the intent of satisfying a few special interest groups."

"This proposed designation would almost double the amount of acreage designated as national monuments in Arizona and would be the nation's second largest national monument…the proposed monument designation would severely impact thousands of acres of state trust lands locked up within its boundaries and deny their beneficial use to the trust…"

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