NPS To Settle Grand Canyon Noise Issue

After debating Grand Canyon air-tour noise for eight years, the Grand Canyon Working Group (GCWG) has left the issue to the National Park Service (NPS), which often supports environmentalist positions. At a recent meeting the GCWG disagreed on NPS alternatives, including a seasonal shift in air-tour corridors by alternatively closing the Zuni and Dragon corridors, which are now open concurrently. The GCWG adjourned indefinitely, leaving NPS to develop a single alternative. “The FAA does not have a role at this point,” said Lucy Moore, the GCWG mediation facilitator. “When the NPS presents one preferred alternative, the FAA will then review it for safety issues.”