Want to read the latest plight facing the Grand Canyon? Tune into the venerable New York Times, which is currently running a story highlighting significant threats facing the Grand Canyon, including a recent proposal to build the controversial Escalade tram delivering gawkers down to the confluence of the Little Colorado…
The story, written by Adam Nagourney, examines the proposed Escalade tram development that could carry as many as 10,000 visitors a day from the canyon rim down to the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers in the heart of the Grand Canyon, a sacred site to many tribes. The story also looks at the Tusayan development which could dry up critical springs that feed the Colorado River, damaging sensitive ecosystems.
“Building this suburban development there would have an impact on the lifeblood of the national park,” maintains Bob Irvin, president of non-profit American Rivers. “It’s a threat to the groundwater supply of the Colorado River. We named it as the most endangered river in the nation two years ago.”
Here’s how the story begins:
EAST RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Renae Yellowhorse stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, 26 bumpy miles across the Painted Desert from the nearest paved road, not a glint of civilization in sight. Ms. Yellowhorse, 52, who has lived her whole life on this Navajo land, cast an arm over the gulf sweeping out to the horizon, pointing to where the Colorado River and the Little Colorado meet in a dazzling burst of deep blue 3,000 feet below. “This is where the tram would go,” she said. “This is the heart of our Mother Earth. This is a sacred area. It is going to be true destruction.”
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
The story