An Issue, Not a Crisis

   Something shouldn’t have to reach a crisis before people take notice. In fact, we’ve found that by the time it gets to be a crisis it takes a hell of a lot of time and effort to get anything done. And crises often don’t even address the most important issues. We’ve found it a lot more productive to develop lines of communication that avert crises, to work things out ahead of time. And this is just such a case.

   Grand Canyon National Park is in the process of developing a General Management Plan. It’s hard to overemphasize the importance of this document. It will reaffirm the basic management philosophy of the park, and it will outline ways to achieve management objectives over the next 10 to 15 years. Some of the more controversial issues include development on the North Rim and the range of services that should be offered just outside the Park at places like Tusayan and Cameron. The Colorado River Management Plan, revised only a couple of years ago, will be folded into this new, larger document.

   The important thing is that this is a public process which means you can and should be involved. The process began with public “scoping” meetings in Arizona and Utah in late 1991. They led to a Scoping Summary, which was sent out in early 1992. Due to the scale of the project and the number of issues that need to be addressed, the planning process takes a long time. Further public meetings are planned for fall of 1993. The final document is expected to be approved sometime in 1995. We’ll keep you informed when meeting dates come available but in the meantime we recommend you become informed on the issues. There will never be a better opportunity to make a difference.