The Grand Canyon – a natural masterpiece made of solid rock that seems utterly indestructible. This expanse of layered bands of red rock faces imminent danger today and it simply isn’t a topic of discussion in the United States or anywhere else.
According to a grassroots activist named ‘Jack’ on Twitter who brought this issue to the forefront on social media, this lack of coverage is deliberate and he claims ‘some very rich people want to keep it that way.’
ALSO READ: How well do you know about your favourite Disney characters? Take this quiz
The Italian development company Stilo Gruppo had purchased land less than 10 miles from the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, right in the middle of the Kaibab National Forest, east of the town of Tusayan in 1990.
The company began their first stage of development in 2015 when an attempt to garner a permit allowing them to carve a road through the middle of the Kaibab National Forest was thwarted by conservation campaigners. According to the National Parks Conservation Association, after the U.S. Forest Service eventually rejected Stilo’s proposal, voters in the local county helped keep the company’s plans from moving forward for decades.
Unfortunately, in 2014, the gateway town of Tusayan containing under 600 residents approved zoning for Stilo to allow 2,176 residential units and 3.5 million square feet of retail space, in which they plan to build a convention centre, a spa and potentially a water park.
The threat to nation’s revered landmark goes beyond simply the alteration of its landscape – this level of development and exploitation of the resources the Grand Canyon has to offer would greatly affect the ecosystem and the local Havasupai Tribe. The entire ecosystem depends solely on groundwater, pumped through an aquifer that feeds the springs throughout Grand Canyon National Park.
According to the NPCA, “More groundwater pumping would likely lower aquifer levels, damaging or drying up the springs. The aquifer is also the sole source of water for Havasu Creek. This creek is the lifeblood of members of the Havasupai Tribe, who rely on it for drinking and irrigation water.”
Post a meeting earlier this week, the town of Tusayan and Stilo are discussing the repurposing of a 270-mile coal slurry pipeline to provide water to the town and serve the potential new developments offered by Stilo – This pipeline would require a heavy water source within the forest and would need to carve a path through the forest as well.
Presumably, pumping water uphill along the 270-mile line will require a tremendous amount of energy, adding to the environmental exploitation that will result from this development if it is successful, along with road and air traffic and noise and air pollution.
The Grand Canyon has been rare to find, a constant refuge for Indigenous Americans for eight centuries and a protected national park for 100 years. This development called the TenX development locally, would be devastating for existing environmental and cultural ecosystems and would deprive the indigenous peoples of the Havasupai Tribe of a home.