U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) held a listening session  April 11 in Kingman with local government officials and business leaders on a proposed 1.7-million-acre national monument in the Grand Canyon watershed.

The proposed watershed preservation project has been proposed by President Barack Obama as one of 23 new or expanded national monument projects to preserve natural environments and land around the country. In supporting the executive action, Obama has cited the Antiquities Act of 1906, which was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect natural or cultural resources.

Gosar and many others at the Kingman meeting expressed opposition to the Grand Canyon watershed monument, saying the project would cost jobs, abuse local land-use rights and constitute an overreach of presidential power.

Gosar proposed the Protecting Local Communities from Executive Overreach Act in November as a legislative response. 

Gosar said all of Arizona's federal representatives oppose the proposed monument. He also listed dozens of organizations and fellow legislators as opposing the proposal.

Approximately 135 people attended the Kingman session. Several local and state officials filed testimony opposing the proposal, including Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Arizona State Land Department Commissioner Lisa Atkins, Arizona Chamber of Commerce President Glenn Hamer and leaders of several trade organizations.