Mohave County officials spoke out against a proposed new national monument around the Grand Canyon.
Mohave County Supervisor Travis Lingenfelter said that the establishment of the monument would devastate the economic growth potential of the region.
Rep. Paul Gosar said the House must stop the federal government, which he claims is looking for ways to slowly restrict access to public land.
The comments came during an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the Biden administration’s alleged efforts to limit access to public lands.
However, advocates say the monument is critical to protecting important environmental and archeological sites and could even generate new business for the region.