Thousands Of Comments Received On Tusayan Development Near Grand Canyon

By Laurel Morales
June 03, 2015
A
Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce and Visitors' Bureau
A mile before you reach the entrance to the South Rim you pass Tusayan — two blocks of restaurants, hotels, a gas station, an IMAX theater and not much else.

As many as 200,000 comments have been submitted to the U.S. Forest Service about proposed development plans in Tusayan, just south of the Grand Canyon. 

The Forest Service said it won't know how many people have weighed in until all the comments are counted.

Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, said in a press release that nearly 200,000 of their members contributed comments and signatures against the project.

Tusayan, one of the smallest towns in Arizona, wants to grow. Five million people drive through it every year on their way to the Grand Canyon.

Why not build more hotels and restaurants to boost the local economy? 

Environmental groups and other park enthusiasts say because there’s not enough water to go around.

Former Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin said in his comment to the forest supervisor “the potential impacts could be huge.” 

Questions remain about whether the developer plans to use groundwater or Colorado River water. 

Many demand answers along with scientific analysis and full disclosure of the intent and impacts of the project.

The Forest Service will announce the level of analysis in coming weeks.