Economic Factors of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon : Development or Conservation . Lessons from the Recent Past

Introduction

March 2007 was a momentous month for one of America 's greatest natural site , the Grand Canyon . In March 2007 the Grand Canyon Skywalk officially opened . There was much joy and at the same time consternation . The Skywalk is located on the Hualapai American Indian reservation in Arizona and it was the locals who decided that they needed to do something to promote tourism in the region so that they could earn much needed revenue to tide over their

poverty

The Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped glass-bottomed walkway extending 60 feet out over the edge of the Grand Canyon (GC . The drop off below is 4 ,000 feet . This is a combination of nature and man 's enterprise . To create the Skywalk on such a natural hazard to some , beauty to most was not anticipated . But American enterprise sees no limits and is ever willing to experiment in the unlikeliest of places . The Skywalk on the Grand Canyon is one such symbol

It is expected that a large number of tourists will flock to this part of the GC to view this world heritage site and the local community will benefit as a result of this . But conservationists and lovers of this natural paradise are concerned that this might open up a Pandora 's box and let loose forces of commercial exploitation of the GC and destroy the fragile eco-balance of this natural wonder . Colorado river began carving the Grand Canyon almost six million years ago (Weintraub 2001 . It appears that human hands and feet are planning to do the same that the great river did for the earth

The Grand Canyon has seen many large structures come up over the years To set the record straight , it must be noted that one of the earliest structures in the area is a watchtower built in May 1933 . Building a structure that provided the widest possible view of the Grand Canyon and yet harmonized with its setting was the task of architect Mary Colter She was hired by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1930 to design a gift shop and rest area at Desert View Point . Colter designed the Watchtower , which opened in May 1933 . This is just one instance of the need to develop tourism in the area , but keeping in mind the ecological balance of the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP (Grand Canyon , Nd . Before examining the pros and cons of this debate , one needs to understand a little more about the area itself and the dynamics of the development of the region .Background

The Grand Canyon has been carved over the millennia by the carved by the Colorado river , in the state of Arizona . The GC is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP ) and lies on the Colorado Plateau in north-western Arizona . It was established in 1919 . It was one of the first national parks in the United States

The GC , cut by the...