Forest Service Should Reject Town of Tusayan’s Special Use Application Designed to Facilitate Huge Resort Development Near Grand Canyon National Park Because the Use Is Not in the Public Interest

The document argues that the Town of Tusayan's application for special use authorizations on Kaibab National Forest land is not in the public interest because it enables a massive resort development by Gruppo Stilo USA. The authors contend that the project threatens the Redwall-Muav regional aquifer, which supports critical springs in Grand Canyon National Park and the water supply of the Havasupai Tribe. They further argue that the development would cause light and noise pollution, overwhelm park infrastructure, and harm wildlife habitats, including elk calving grounds and antelope fawning areas. The letter urges the Forest Service to deny the application before initiating a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

• The Town of Tusayan's special use application seeks rights-of-way to enable the construction of a large resort development on the Kotzin and TenX Ranches, which would include approximately five miles of paved roads, new road segments, utility lines, and wastewater and booster pump stations.
• The planned build-out for the development includes up to 2,176 dwelling units and over 120 acres of commercial development, potentially increasing the population of Tusayan from 550 to between 5,500 and 8,000 people.
• Groundwater pumping from the Redwall-Muav regional aquifer to support the development threatens the flow of seeps and springs in Grand Canyon National Park, which are critical for wildlife and backcountry hikers.
• The development poses a threat to the Havasupai Tribe, as they rely on the Redwall-Muav aquifer for their water supply and cultural and religious purposes via Havasu Creek and other springs.

APA

Earthjustice (2015). Forest Service Should Reject Town of Tusayan’s Special Use Application Designed to Facilitate Huge Resort Development Near Grand Canyon National Park Because the Use Is Not in the Public Interest. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-03-2020-20letter20to20rober20bonnie20et20al20from20npca20et20al2020-20tusayan20special20use20application.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Forest Service Should Reject Town of Tusayan’s Special Use Application Designed to Facilitate Huge Resort Development Near Grand Canyon National Park Because the Use Is Not in the Public Interest. 2015. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-03-2020-20letter20to20rober20bonnie20et20al20from20npca20et20al2020-20tusayan20special20use20application.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Forest Service Should Reject Town of Tusayan’s Special Use Application Designed to Facilitate Huge Resort Development Near Grand Canyon National Park Because the Use Is Not in the Public Interest |date=20 March 2015 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-03-2020-20letter20to20rober20bonnie20et20al20from20npca20et20al2020-20tusayan20special20use20application.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2015forest, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Forest Service Should Reject Town of Tusayan’s Special Use Application Designed to Facilitate Huge Resort Development Near Grand Canyon National Park Because the Use Is Not in the Public Interest}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-03-2020-20letter20to20rober20bonnie20et20al20from20npca20et20al2020-20tusayan20special20use20application.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }