On Monday, Congressman Paul Gosar held a Public Listening Session in Kingman, Arizona titled, “Government Land Grabs: Exposing The Truth”, to hear testimony from more than 20 Arizona witnesses on the need to reform the Antiquities Act and the negative impacts that would result should President Obama appease special-interest groups by unilaterally locking up 1.7 million acres in the Grand Canyon Watershed through the creation of a new national monument under presidential proclamation.
“We heard resounding testimony from small business owners, sportsmen, farmers, ranchers, elected officials and many other stakeholders who adamantly oppose another massive land grab from the Obama Administration. Our witnesses made clear that countless Arizonans reject using the Antiquities Act to create a new 1.7 million acre national monument in a watershed,” said Congressman Gosar. “Substantive testimony confirmed that this misguided special-interest proposal will kill jobs, prevent mining, retire grazing permits, close roads to OHV users, reduce access for sportsmen, steal water rights and harm 4FRI. I call on the White House to listen to the people of Arizona and reject this misguided land grab put forth by environmental extremists with an agenda,” said Gosar in a statement released after the hearing.
Arizona Game and Fish Commission Chairman Kurt R. Davis testified, “Arizona has had enough public land that have seen declining access; declining ability to manage wildlife and declining ability to maintain the heritage and history of those who came to Arizona to build families and lives in rural Arizona. Arizonans have witnessed massive and cataclysmic wild fires across our federal lands over the past two decades because of a lack of proactive habitat management. This unfortunately, will be the destiny of the North Kiabab if a monument is established. Simply and sadly stated, the President is being asked to use the stroke of a pen, but it will also certainly serve as the strike of the match.”
Arizona Chamber of Commerce President Glenn Hamer submitted written testimony stating, “Monument designations have a significant economic impact because they entail restrictions, limitations, or out-right bans on land use, including commercial development, grazing, timber production, mining, and the use of off-road vehicles. By preventing economic activity that generates needed income and tax revenue, monument designation will have far-reaching consequences for infrastructure, job creation, and economic growth in the towns surrounding the proposed monument areas as well as across the state.”
Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) submitted testimony stating: “The ability of the Arizonans to enjoy the responsible use of their public land must be respected, as must the primacy of state agencies to manage the land under their authority. A unilateral designation of the Grand Canyon Watershed as a National Monument would erode the extensive work that federal and state land agencies have done to successfully manage this land.”
Jim Parks, President of the Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association (on behalf of the Arizona Farm Bureau), testified, “Within the bounds of the proposed Grand Canyon Watershed National Monument are over 64,000 acres of Arizona State Trust lands and almost 28,000 acres of private land. This alone violates federal and state laws, as it amounts to a ‘taking’ of these state and private lands.”
Eric Duthie, Town Manager of the Town of Tusayan, testified, “Tusayan would become the only municipality entirely swallowed up in this monument…Tusayan strongly opposes the establishment of the Grand Canyon Watershed Monument, whether through Congressional decree or Executive Order. Tusayan believes such action would constitute federal overreach in order to appease special-interest groups who do not live among, nor represent the views of the many life-long residents who cherish and manage the Grand Canyon.”
Kelly Shaw-Norton, President of the Arizona Mining Association, testified, “The Antiquities Act was intended as a tool to set aside ‘the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.’ It was not meant to be used for expansive amounts of land without public input and Congressional approval.”
Approximately 125 people attended the Public Listening Session in person and hundreds more watched online.
National monument designations under the Antiquities Act typically have significant consequences that negatively affect grazing rights, water rights, wildfire prevention and other land management activities. These declarations also result in some of the most restrictive land-use regulations possible and also greatly impact hunting, fishing, OHV and other recreational activities.
In November of 2015, Congressman Gosar introduced legislation, H.R. 3946, the Protecting Local Communities from Executive Overreach Act, which updates the 1906 Antiquities Act in order to protect property rights, water rights and jobs from presidential overreach. More information HERE. Congressman Gosar has also passed an amendment and submitted an appropriation’s rider to prevent further abuse of the Antiquities Act.
H.R. 3946 is supported by all five Arizona House Republicans and blocks two misguided monument efforts in the Grand Canyon Watershed and the Sedona Verde Valley, both of which have significant local opposition. The bill accomplishes this task by explicitly prohibiting declarations in Coconino and Mohave and Yavapai counties by executive fiat.
Groups in Opposition to the Grand Canyon Watershed Monument: American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Public Lands Council; Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC); the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA); Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA); Americans for Limited Government; Archery Trade Association; Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; Boone and Crockett Club; Camp Fire Club of America; Council for Citizens Against Government Waste; Eagle Forum; Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports; Dallas Safari Club; Delta Waterfowl Foundation; Heritage Action, Houston Safari Club; Masters of Foxhounds Association; Mule Deer Foundation; National Association of Forest Service Retirees; National Rifle Association; National Shooting Sports Foundation; National Wild Turkey Federation; North American Bear Foundation; Orion: The Hunter’s Institute; Quality Deer Management Association; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Ruffed Grouse Society; Safari Club International, Tread Lightly!; Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership; Wildlife Management Institute; Wild Sheep Foundation; Whitetails Unlimited; U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance; Anglers United of Arizona; Arizona Antelope Foundation; Arizona Bass Federation Nation; Arizona Big Game Super Raffle; Arizona Cattle Feeders’ Association; Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association; Arizona Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation; Arizona Chapter Safari Club International; Arizona Deer Association; Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society; Arizona Elk Society; Arizona Farm Bureau Federation; Arizona Flycasters Club; Arizona Game and Fish Commission; Arizona Houndsmen; Arizona Liberty; Arizona Mining Association; Arizona Outdoor Sports; Arizona Rock Products; Arizona Small Business Association; Arizona Wildlife Federation; Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce; the Mayor and City Council of Bullhead City; Catron County; City of Williams; Cochise /Graham Cattle Growers Association; Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association, Coconino Sportsmen; Concerned Citizens for America; Ellsworth Ranch; Gila County Cattle Growers Association; Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association; Greenlee Cattle Growers Association; La Paz County Stockmen’s Association; Livestock Market Digest Newspaper; Maricopa County Cattle Growers Association, Mohave County Board of Supervisors; Mohave Livestock Association, Mohave Sportsman’s Club; Navajo/Apache Cattle Growers Association; New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association; New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc.; New Mexico Federal Lands Council; New Mexico Stockman magazine; Outdoor Experience 4 ALL; Prescott’s HWY69 Group; South Eastern Arizona Sportsmen; Southern Arizona Cattlemen’s Protective Association; SRT Outdoors; Shake, Rattle and Troll Radio; The Bass Federation; Town of Fredonia; Veritas Research; Whitewater Cattle Co.; Xtreme Predator Callers; Yavapai Cattle Growers Association; 1.2.3.Go…
In addition, the following members of Congress have joined Congressman Gosar in opposing the National Monument designation in the Grand Canyon Watershed: U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, U.S. Representatives Mark Amodei, Brian Babin, Ken Buck, Paul Cook, Kevin Cramer, John Culberson, John Duncan, John Fleming, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Bob Goodlatte, Crescent Hardy, Tim Huelskamp, Walter Jones, Mike Kelly, Steve King, Raul Labrador, Doug LaMalfa, Doug Lamborn, Mia Love, Cynthia Lummis, Patrick McHenry, Martha McSally, Tom McClintock, Dan Newhouse, Richard Nugent, Stevan Pearce, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, Steve Russell, Matt Salmon, David Schweikert, Chris Stewart, Glenn Thompson, Scott Tipton, David Valadao, Daniel Webster, Bruce Westerman, Don Young and Ryan Zinke.
In addition, Resolutions opposing the monument passed in the Arizona State House and State Senate.