Dive Brief:
- The Kaibab National Forest has denied developers' request for a road easement necessary to build housing and a commercial development near the South Rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park, the Associated Press reported.
- The proposed development of 2,200 homes, high-end retail stores and luxury hotels in Tusayan, AZ, a few miles from the canyon’s entrance, is now in limbo. Forest Supervisor Heather Provencio, who issued the denial, said the town can reapply once the Forest Service’s many concerns over water use and other area and park impacts are addressed.
- The Grand Canyon National Park had more than 5.5 million visitors in 2015, and conservation and environmental groups were major protestors of the development. The National Park Service also opposed the plan, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Dive Insight:
For nearly 20 years, Italian-backed Stilo Corp. has attempted to develop Tusayan, which lies in a heavily traveled path to the Grand Canyon, and company representatives told the AP that they were not given an opportunity to make their case to the Forest Service.
Provencio said the developers' application didn't warrant a review, but, if it had, she probably would have denied it due to "significant evidence the proposal is not in the public interest," the AP reported. She added that the Forest Service had received tens of thousands of letters and comments opposing the development and expansion of park roads.
The Forest Service’s decision also kills a Tusayan plan to build affordable housing on a piece of land surrounded by the Kaibab National Forest.
Developers at Stilo said the additional housing units would help remedy the lack of inventory in the area and that the overall development would spur job creation. Tight housing inventory is a growing problem across the U.S., but in this case, environmental concerns trumped the need for additional housing.