Grand Canyon Is One of the Most

¶ … Grand Canyon is one of the most sought after destinations in Arizona, U.S. The landscape as well as the trails offered to individual traveler's offers a unique environment that can only be found here. The Grand Canyon National Park surrounds a gorge of the Colorado River and was established on Feb. 26th 1919. The National Park covers 1902 square miles of Arizona landscape. Connecting the northern and southern rim of the park is Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Hoover Dam, which are both key tourist destinations. The Grand Canyon Association is the official nonprofit organization responsible for generate private funds and providing educational opportunities within the park. Being such an attractive tourist destination and having so much inaccessible terrain, the private industries have begun to offer aerial tours over the national park. The National Park Service developed plan that addressed the environmental and social implications of the noise produced by aircraft. They name of the EIS developed was Special Flight Rules Area in the Vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park. While the environmental study was thorough and conducted in a proper manner, this study will also assess the environmental impact of noise pollution caused by aerial vehicles.

In 1987 there was a mandate within the National Parks Overflights Act which was an attempt to preserve the natural quite and experience of natural habitats. Disturbing these habitats with noise is yet another form of pollution that social systems seem to perpetuate onto nature. The sounds of nature are inevitable, while the sounds of the industrialized world can be contained. In order to truly sustain the natural experience, noise pollution must also be accounted for at all times. The National Park Service considers having 50% of the park protected from noise pollution a minimum goal. This is an extension of the "tragedy of the commons" where individuals are willing to create noise because they feel as if other people will be quiet or, that their noise contribution is not large enough to affect the surrounding area. But in actuality, those individuals are destroying the environments natural calamity.

Alternatives that exist to the current proposal includes things such as a flight level restriction forcing planes flying over the national park to fly at a certain height above sea level. Additionally, the implementation of a no-fly zone over the national park would reduce the environmental impact of the noise over the area, while causing end to the aerial tourism industry. If the current condition were maintained as an alternative, then we would lose the incentive to create quiet-technology. Additionally, the status quo would preserve the current allocation of nearly 100,000 annual flights. Another alternative is seasonal use, but the major disadvantage is that it could destroy the year round touring industry. This would force the development and acquisition of quiet technology in order for the companies to remain viable with the market.

The social scales that are involved in the use of aerial vehicles over the canyon are the noise pollution caused by planes and helicopters. The EIS increases the restoration of natural quiet within the park. Additionally it allows for a certain amount of air-tours and tour related operations annually. Moreover the recognition of sensitive cultural and social areas is key to the preservation of habitual zones with pleasurable noise levels. The inclusion of a daily flight cap is key to accomplishing such goals. As well as the implementation of a flight free zone ceiling.

Cultural Resources are increasingly important to the preservation of this area. Eleven Native American tribes share a cultural bond with the Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon holds significant spiritual, genealogical, and cultural implications for the various tribes here. Noise and disturbances associated with aerial activity invade the tranquil environments and settings of the sacred places held by the tribes. This disrupts their rituals and spiritual activities which in turn is an exercise of cultural violence and causes the erosion of normative cultural activity.

The aerial tours not only impact the areas within the national park but they also affect the adjacent lands that are attached to the park. The tribes have a right to tribal sovereignty which includes the control of air pollution. While the tribes still want to achieve economic development within their reservations, that does not mean that aerial tours are permissible, especially with the existence of spiritual habitats based on a connection with nature.

In terms of natural resources, the issue surrounds the means through which aerial flights affect the soundscape, air quality, and potential for a collision between aircraft and threatened or endangered species. Moreover, the disturbance of wildlife and threatened and endangered species is another threat to the environment and habitat that must be considered.

Visitor use and experience is another issue that includes ensuring that visitors and guest enjoy their time in the park while simultaneously preserving the resources and values of the land. Additionally, minimizing the conflict with the park visitors is another important reason to control aerial flights. Opportunities for aircraft flights over wilderness areas conflict with the opportunities of other visitors who seek to enjoy a wilderness experience.

In terms of the economic condition, the potential effects of the EIS on income from tourist, fuel consumption, employment and logistical costs pose a major obstacle. Since the park still has to fund the individuals who are employed, it must retain some economic value and circulation. This means that the park must make a decision that reaches the balance between serving the community and serving the economy.

A major vulnerability is the air quality and climate change. The Grand Canyon National Park is classified as a mandatory Class 1 area according to the Clean Air Act. It mandates the Grand Canyon National Park to be protected against the degradation of air quality and increased air pollution. This means that the Environmental Protection Agency has a major role in the oversight of the park and could potentially have the right to manage all aerial operations in the area because of their ability to cause pollution.

Several threatened, endangered, or special status species would not be affected by the alternatives including the bald eagle, the southwestern willow flycatcher, the western yellow-billed cuckoo, Yuma clapper rail, Mexican long tongued bat, spotted bat, western red bat, Hualapai Mexican vole, southwestern river otter, black-footed ferret, northern leopard frog, bonytail chub, Virgin River chub, razorback sucker, woundfin, Little Colorado spinedace, Kanab ambersnail, and eight species of listed plants. Aircraft overflights do not affect populations of listed plants or aquatic species mentioned above. Bat species are not active during times air-tour flights occur, and therefore would not be affected. Though, It is likely overflights are not affecting populations of southwestern willow flycatcher and Yuma clapper rail. Both the flycatcher and rail populate in riparian habitats which air-tour routes largely avoid or fly over at altitudes greater than 4,000 feet above ground level. Former southwestern flycatcher habitat on the park's West End has been changed due to river down cutting. Individual rails may find their way to the canyon rim, where aircraft are flying at lower altitudes, but this would be very unlikely. Thus, effects of Alternatives on these listed species are dismissed from further analysis.