Grand Canyon National Park Seeks Comment on Proposed Desert View Housing and Management Support Facilities

Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joseph F. Alston today announced the release of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the construction of additional housing units and residential support facilities at Desert View. The National Park Service is soliciting comments from those who may have issues or concerns regarding the proposal.

The EA considers three alternatives: Alternative A, a no-action alternative that would maintain the existing condition at Desert View; Alternative B, which calls for retaining existing facilities, and providing any additional housing or maintenance support needs with facilities elsewhere - either in the park or outside of the park; and Alternative C, the Proposed Action, which proposes the construction of approximately 70 housing units at Desert View to replace substandard units and meet additional housing needs, and to construct residential support facilities. New housing would consist primarily of multiplex buildings (duplexes, fourplexes, eightplexes, and a dorm or dorms) plus a small number of single family units. Also proposed is construction of approximately six sites for recreational vehicles (RV's) to accommodate seasonal employees who live in RV's. A new ranger operations and maintenance facility for the National Park Service, and a new support facility for the park concessioner would also be constructed. Construction would be in areas already disturbed by earlier building construction or by the installation of existing underground utilities.

All action alternatives meet the following criteria:

Meet as closely as possible the objectives and decisions made in the park's 1995 General Management Plan (GMP),
Utilize existing roads and disturbed areas wherever possible,
Avoid adversely impacting the historic district,
Minimize adverse impacts to prehistoric and historic archeological sites.

The Proposed activities are part of a comprehensive effort under the GMP to accommodate increased visitation at Desert View while minimizing resource impacts and conflicts. The proposed activities are needed because existing facilities cannot adequately accommodate existing needs, nor the needs expected to be created by projected increases in visitation at Desert View.

Copies of the EA can be obtained by writing to the Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023, Attention: Sara White, Compliance Officer, on-line at www.nps.gov/grca/compliance/ or by calling the Compliance Officer at (928) 638-7956. Comments will be accepted for 30-days and should be sent to Sara White at the above address by September 18, 2001. For questions or additional information, please contact Mark Johnston, Civil Engineer, at (928) 638-7906.