Local opinion: Don’t let the Congressional Review Act undermine our public lands

As a hunter and angler who enjoys Arizona’s vast public lands, I want to commend Rep. Ciscomani for being a staunch public lands supporter. Last week, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Ciscomani’s legislation to turn the Chiricahua National Monument into a 12,000-acre national park. Having such a designation for this stunning landscape is long overdue and will help further wildlife conservation efforts in the area.

Rep. Ciscomani has also consistently voted to address environmental concerns on public lands along the border and near military installations. And he opposed misguided efforts to sell off our public lands last year during the budget process.

Unfortunately, some members of Congress are once again trying to subvert our nation’s public lands by using a legislative tool called the Congressional Review Act. This maneuver undercuts local stewardship efforts and fundamentally undermines how public lands in the United States are supposed to be managed.

Land management plans are not created quickly or casually. They take shape over years of research, public input, Tribal consultation, and negotiation. Ranchers, hunters, anglers, conservation advocates, local leaders, and industry stakeholders all have a seat at the table. The result is a thoughtful balance — one that safeguards natural resources while still allowing for responsible use.

The Congressional Review Act was not designed to sweep aside that kind of deliberate process. Originally intended to give Congress a way to overturn newly finalized federal rules, the CRA allows lawmakers to nullify regulations with a simple majority vote and limited debate. Importantly, once a rule is repealed under the CRA, agencies are prohibited from issuing anything “substantially similar” in the future. That makes it an especially blunt and risky tool when applied to something as complex as land management plans.

In April, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a Congressional Review Act proposal that will revoke land management plans for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Applying the CRA to dismantle management plans for a national monument sets a troubling precedent. Could places like Sunset Crater or the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monuments be next?

It also sends a discouraging signal to the public. Why should communities dedicate time and effort to public comment processes if their voices can be so easily set aside? Using the CRA in this way suggests that public participation — and the processes built to ensure it — can be disregarded.

There is a broader concern about stability as well. Effective land management depends on predictability. Businesses, local governments, and ranchers rely on clear, consistent guidelines to make long-term decisions. When Congress abruptly wipes those guidelines away, it creates uncertainty that ripples through recreation economies, energy development, and beyond. That kind of instability serves no one.

I urge Rep. Ciscomani to uphold his role as a steward of our public lands and oppose the use of the CRA to overturn land management plans.

Using the Congressional Review Act to undo carefully developed land management plans undermines that foundation. It bypasses accountability and elevates short-term political gains over enduring stewardship. Rep. Ciscomani, please vote “no” on this harmful approach and stand up for the future of our public lands.