Scores of northern Arizona businesses depend on the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the Grand Canyon’s North Rim every year.
But the devastation caused by the Dragon Bravo Fire last summer continues to undermine local economies.
KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius spoke with Republican Congressman Eli Crane who’s spearheading a push speed up the rebuilding process.
Ryan Heinsius: What specific elements of the rebuilding process would be streamlined under this bill?
Rep. Eli Crane: As we were talking to stakeholders they were telling us that one of the best things that we could do initially was to remove a lot of the bureaucratic hurdles that they’re going to go through just to get this thing up off the ground.
And we tried to listen to the people on the ground that were going to be going through this process, and it was well received and we’ve got a lot of support.
I would even say, bipartisan support—the Coconino Board of Supervisors, they’ve supported it as well.
And so, that was one thing that was important to us, was not just to throw out ideas but actually go listen to people and take their advice when we started crafting legislation.
RH: When you sit down with business owners and community members near the North Rim in Page or Jacob Lake or Fredonia what do they tell you?
EC: There’s just a sense of urgency. They’ve all basically told us that, “If we don’t get this taken care of, it’s going to decimate the communities surrounding the North Rim.” I think that they’re also optimistic and glad that this is a bipartisan effort to move forward and make the Grand Canyon better than ever.
We’re not sitting around twiddling our thumbs wasting time. You know, we’re listening to stakeholders on the ground and doing everything that we can to fast-track the rebuild.
RH: When the Dragon Bravo fire swept through the North Rim last July, what were your initial thoughts?
EC: Well obviously, initial thoughts were safety—safety of people at the park visitors, et cetera.
I also, like many, had wonders and concerns about how this fire started and got moving so quickly.
I know that there’s an ongoing investigation into that, which I think is important.
I think accountability is always important. But then, you know, quickly transitioned to, OK, once this fire is out, what can we do about it as the North Rim is so vital to Arizona small businesses, local economies and communities.
RH: You know, one thing that really made the Grand Canyon Lodge and the North Rim so special is that you went up there and you kind of felt like you were stepping back in time to this kind of rustic era. How might that character be preserved up there, or is there anything that you’d like to see that will specifically retain the feel and the character of that area?
EC: Absolutely. I’m very confident that once this project is complete—and I do expect it to take time—I do believe that there’s a possibility to see the North Rim greater than ever.
When I flew up there with a couple of my staff members to the North Rim, I was actually surprised—flying from the South Rim to the North Rim at how much of the beauty was still intact. Now, don’t get me wrong, there was still plenty of devastation.
The lodge was obviously burnt down, the water treatment facility was burnt down, several of the cabins were burnt down, there were a lot of vehicles that were destroyed as well. But I do believe that there’s a very good possibility for the Grand Canyon to look even better than it ever has.
And also, I think there’s a good opportunity to have more capacity there.
I know that a lot of their infrastructure there was old and outdated and they struggled on a yearly basis to maintain that old infrastructure. And so, I think we can turn this into something really good.
RH: Congressman Crane, thanks so much for your time today.
EC: Thank you, Ryan. Really appreciate it.
