Rep. Gosar to Rep. Grijalva: "If You Want to Kill Jobs & Push 2 Million Acre Land Grabs Do It in Your Own District"
Statement
Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) introduced the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument Act which would designate 1.7 million acres near the Grand Canyon as a new national monument:
"It's absolutely shameful that Rep. Grijalva would try to use tribes as political pawns to implement the misguided agenda of extremist environmental groups. His double-dealing bill isn't even worth the paper it was printed on and has no chance of passing Congress. Instead, it is a deceitful attempt to provide political cover for the president should he fail to recognize significant opposition from local Arizona communities and once again abuse his power with one stroke of a pen under the Antiquities Act.
"Rep. Grijlava's bill, pandering to extremist environmental groups, will kill jobs, stifle development, permanently prevent mining and future grazing leases, impose significant OHV road closures and significantly restrict hunting, timber harvesting and commercial recreational activities on 1.7 million acres in northern Arizona. I encourage the southern Arizona Congressman to focus on killing jobs and locking up millions of acres of land in his own district."
Western Caucus Chairwoman Cynthia Lummis (WY-at large), issued the following statement after hearing of introduction of the Girjalva bill: "Too often, presidents have forced monument designations on communities over local objections and disrupted economies and locally-driven conservation efforts alike. Today Representative Gosar is making it loud and clear to the White House that there is considerable opposition to Representative Grijalva's monument proposal by those on the ground who will feel the brunt of its impact. Unfortunately, President Obama has a track record of shutting out local voices in its monument designations. It is long past time for Congress to rein in Antiquities Act abuses in favor of collaborative, locally-driven, boots-on-the-ground conservation that is better equipped to protect our natural resources."
Source