From Managing Editor – Tim Romano
Earlier this summer I took a two day fishing trip to Lees Ferry and stayed at Cliff Dwellers Lodge at the top of the Grand Canyon. It was an exceptional two days and mind blowing from a fishery perspective. I then spent an entire week with the guides from Arizona Raft Adventures floating down the canyon, fishing to rainbow trout and having one of the best weeks of my entire life. It was truly a life altering experience. As an industry of people who love, protect, and make a living off the outdoors I urge you to look at the plea below that this outstanding guide company (AZRA) is making to the people of the world. Take a moment to read the facts and sign the petition below.
From AZRA:
THIS IS AN URGENT MATTER.
A proposed Grand Canyon Escalade bill, which seeks approval from the Navajo Nation Council to jump start a controversial project, has begun to move forward late Monday.
This proposal, if approved by the Council, would allow a tramway to be built from the rim of Grand Canyon down to the Confluence of the Colorado River and Little Colorado River. This proposal will offer hotels, RV parking, restaurants and visitor centers at the rim, and a gondola-style tramway that would take approximately 10,000 people per day down to river level and a restaurant, an amphitheater and elevated walkway. There are currently no plans for a safe and effective sewage system.
As you can imagine, this would be devastating to Grand Canyon, its river runners, its ecology, its diversity, its simplicity, its complexity, its remoteness, its beauty. We hope buy alprazolam online pharmacy that you share our concern about this idea, and ask that you would contact the Council to let them know what a heartbreaking project this would be.
To view the proposed project, sign the petition and contact the Navajo Nation Council, please visit https://secure.americanrivers.org/page/s/no-escalade. This is an urgent matter as the Council is only taking comments until 5:00PM on Saturday, September 3.
The Navajo Nation enjoys sovereign nation status, so ultimately, this is their decision to make. We are sensitive to the fact that we are outsiders asking them to consider our thoughts, and that this project could create a lot of jobs for the Navajo Nation. Sadly, this project would be more beneficial to the developer than the Navajo Nation, with the Scottsdale-based developer taking most of the profit by a landslide. This development is not in the best interest of the Navajo people, and it certainly isn’t in the best interest of Grand Canyon.
At this point, the Council’s goal is to veto the Navajo Nation’s President, Russell Begaye’s, decision to not allow this project to go through. The Council needs a 2/3 majority vote to veto President Begaye’s decision.
Please join us in voicing our concerns in the only way we can!
You can sign the petition at https://secure.americanrivers.org/page/s/no-escalade.
Email the Council directly at [email protected].
If you’re interested in financially supporting this cause, please contact either Grand Canyon Trust or Save the Confluence, as they have both been the biggest advocates in protecting Grand Canyon from this concerning project.
Thank you for your attention,
Arizona Raft Adventures
