Paul Gosar, Arizona Congressman, Fights Against Government Overreach

Rep. Paul Gosar (Arizona)  to Sharon Holmes (Nevada) :   "In general, the ability to set aside federal land rested with Congress -- however the presidential power to establish national monuments on federals lands was established via the Antiquities Act of 1906.  The law was enacted at the turn of the 20th century because of concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts-collectively termed "antiquities"-on federal lands in the West.  However, this authority has been misused to limit public access to vast areas of public lands and restrict job-creating economic activities, including responsible energy production and recreation in recent years. The national monument designation process, as any public land designation, is of particular interest to states where the federal government owns a large chunk of all land. This is the case in many Western states like Arizona whereless than 20% of land is privately held and the federal government manages 24 National Parks, Monument and Recreation Areas - more than any other state in the country. The way lands are administered by the federal government has a direct impact on many of my constituents in a way that can be hard to contextualize for many who live east of the Mississippi River. Under the Obama Administration, this century-old law was used as an excuse for the executive branch to lock up millions of acres of land and water against the will of both Congress and local stakeholders. The 1.35 million acre land grab for Bears Ears National Monument provides a case-in-point. During his waning days in office, President Obama unilaterally designated this national monument, locking up land over and above the nearly 550 million acres of land and water he had already added to the federal footprint, despite no significant local support and unified opposition from the Utah congressional delegation. I fought this unjustifiable overreach from President Obama and pushed to give voice to local concerns from citizens and experts on the ground. To ensure public participation in decision to designate national monuments, I introduced H.R. 1495, the Arizona Land Sovereignty Act.  This legislation would prohibit further extension or establishment of national monuments in Arizona, except by express authorization of Congress.  In addition, I am a cosponsor on H.R. 1459, the Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act. This legislation would guarantee public participation in national monument decisions by requiring that any large-scale presidential designation be subjected to the National Environmental Policy Act.  Additionally, it will only allow a President to provide emergency protections for a genuinely threatened site of up to 5,000 acres. Unfortunately, the narrative spun by radical environmentalists is that anyone who does not support top-down, command-and-control land grabs as exercised by former President Obama is an enemy of our national treasures.  This simply is not true. The current debate is not over whether to protect precious natural and historic sites, but how.  I believe firmly that there should be input by the public, interested parties, and others affected by the decision to designate a new parcel of land before a decision is made.  I have supported legislation that protects new national and historic sites but I also believe that open-ended, transparent participation is critical, so I will support legislation that encourages this process.  Regardless of what political party controls the government, these initiatives make sense.  As the Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I look forward to working alongside my fellow members to enact commonsense reforms in the House of Representatives that preserve our treasured lands while respecting local stakeholders and our sacred separation of powers. I am especially encouraged by President Trump's nomination of former Western Caucus member Ryan Zinke as the Secretary of the Department of Interior. Secretary Zinke, having represented a state that was 30% federally owned, understands both the majesty and importance of our land as well as the unique relationship that Western states and the federal government have on matters of land use. I will continue to fight for policies that respect local decision-makers as well as our Constitution across any area of policy, especially land management. Again, I appreciate your thoughts and concerns.  It is an honor to serve Arizona as part of its congressional delegation.  Your suggestions are always welcome, and if ever I may be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.  To receive the latest legislative updates and news you can sign up for my e-newsletter at gosar.house.gov."

Sincerely, Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. Member of Congress