Dear HCN, Michelle Nijhuis was mistaken when she wrote that the recent transfer of some Death Valley National Park land to the Timbisha Shoshone “was the first time the Park Service had ever ceded land to a tribe” (HCN, 8/5/02:Another way to win back the land). In 1975, about one-third of Grand Canyon National Park’s […]
Dennis Brownridge
Posted inJanuary 20, 1997: Bees under siege
It will be noise as usual in Grand Canyon
You would never know it from the glowing news reports, but the Federal Aviation Administration has scuttled most of its plans for restricting aircraft overflights in Grand Canyon National Park. Three of the four new “flight-free zones’ the agency proposed in July (HCN, 9/16/96) have been effectively deleted in new rules released Dec. 31. Marble […]
Posted inSeptember 16, 1996: The filthy West: Toxics pour into our air, water, land
Speak up for a quiet Grand Canyon
On my first visit to the Grand Canyon 45 years ago, I was overwhelmed by its magnificent silence, tranquility and timelessness. That serenity is hard to find today. It’s destroyed by the relentless drone of planes and helicopters. A thousand flights a day, 100 flights an hour rain noise down on the canyon. At best, […]
Posted inJune 12, 1995: The Southwest's last real river: Will it flow on?
Dennis Brownridge replies
Christa Sadler has repeated park officials’ claims about what the proposed plan would do. However, a careful reading of the entire document and unpublished supporting studies, and hard questioning of park staffers, reveals that the plan is “not as advertised.” Addressing some of Ms. Sadler’s specific interpretations: * The plan would not encourage people to […]
Posted inApril 3, 1995: The Great Basin: America's wasteland seeks a new identity
Pack ’em in, Park Service suggests
After four years of studying how to limit the impact of tourists at Grand Canyon National Park, the National Park Service is suddenly in a rush to support more tourists. In the park’s long-awaited general management plan and environmental impact statement, released March 10 for quick public comment, the Park Service proposes developments such as […]
Posted inDecember 4, 1989: The West's fouled waters, Part II: The new reclamation
The Grand Canyon is just another turbine
The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon rises and falls in lockstep with the West’s demand for electric power. Now environmentalists are asking federal power authorities to let the river off its very short leash. Download entire issue to view this article: http://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/21.23/download-entire-issue%3C/p%3E
Posted inSeptember 12, 1988: The Reopening of the Western Frontier, Part 1
The rural West is actually very urban
The West is empty, but it’s not rural. In fact, it is the most urban of all regions, with most of its population living in a few large metropolitan areas. Download entire issue to view this article: http://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/20.17/download-entire-issue%3C/p%3E
Posted inJanuary 20, 1986: The 'eternal silence' is shattered
The ‘eternal silence’ is shattered
Tourist planes, helicopters and military aircraft make it hard to find peace and quiet in the Grand Canyon. Download entire issue to view this article: http://country-survey-collabs.info/issues/18.1/download-entire-issue%3C/p%3E