Arizona Monuments Face Legislative Challenges from Rep. Gosar
In a move that could reshape the landscape of federal protections in Arizona, Republican Representative Paul Gosar has put forward legislative proposals aimed at overturning the designation of two national monuments. These initiatives target the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument and the Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Rep. Gosar’s first bill seeks to revoke former President Joe Biden’s 2023 declaration concerning the Grand Canyon’s monument. This nearly million-acre expanse was designated to hinder uranium mining and preserve lands significant to multiple indigenous tribes, including the Havasupai, Navajo, and Hopi.
The second legislative proposal challenges the status of the Ironwood Forest National Monument, established by former President Bill Clinton in 2000. Encompassing nearly 190,000 acres, this biologically diverse area is part of the Sonoran Desert, located northwest of Tucson.
Both designations were enacted using the 1906 Antiquities Act, a point of contention for Gosar who argues that such federal protections restrict economic opportunities. “The Antiquities Act was never intended to be a tool for radical environmentalists and their political cronies in Washington, D.C. to block access to America’s abundant and much-needed resources,” said Gosar. He further noted that the Trump administration is reconsidering these monuments as instances of “executive abuses under the Antiquities Act.”
While Gosar’s bills aim to unlock these lands for mining and energy development, they face opposition from tribal leaders and environmental groups. These stakeholders have long resisted uranium mining, especially near the Grand Canyon, citing cultural and environmental concerns. The Pinyon Plain Mine, still operational within monument boundaries, highlights ongoing tensions in the area.
Taylor McKinnon, the Southwest director with the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized Gosar’s legislative efforts, stating, “Both monuments enjoy deep public support for safeguarding things like cultural sites, globally unique biodiversity, and the Grand Canyon’s precious water. Gosar’s bills mark a new low in his career of servicing industry’s interests over the public’s.”
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