(NAFB) – the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association slammed President Biden’s use of the Antiquities Act to put sweeping federal designations on over a million additional acres of land in Arizona.

NCBA President Todd Wilkinson says, “NCBA is strongly opposed to the continued abuse of the Antiquities Act, and we urge President Biden to listen to the local communities that will be hurt by this designation.” The organization says the designation “adds insult to injury” for communities that are unheard and intentionally removed from land management conversations. Additionally, the Biden administration failed to communicate with the affected landowners prior to the designation and their so-called public opinion meeting and poll failed to gather perspective from the people most impacted by this decision.

The Antiquities Act gives the President of the United States broad power establish national monuments from existing federal lands. NCBA says the designations are especially harmful to rural communities that rely on federal lands for their livelihood, such as public lands ranchers.