Arizona’s U.S. senators plan to introduce a bill designed to fast-track reconstruction on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park following last summer’s Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires.
The North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act would grant the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service emergency authority to quickly hire contractors and bypass common delays.
Supporters say it would speed up rebuilding, cleanup and forest restoration that can take years under normal federal procurement laws.
“The fire that destroyed the economy of the North Rim, and even the South Rim, is devastating … What we don't want to see happen is bureaucracy slow this up and essentially the reconstruction and the economic reconstruction of Northern Arizona being slowed down,” says Sen. Ruben Gallego, the bill’s sponsor.
The 145,000-acre Dragon Bravo Fire, along with the nearly 59,000-acre White Sage Fire, triggered the indefinite closure of the North Rim in July. More than 100 structures were burned including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
Some areas have since reopened and officials at Grand Canyon National Park are considering opening the North Kaibab Trail in May, depending on safety conditions.
But the closures and lack of tourism in the area have hit businesses in Page, Fredonia, Jacob Lake and other gateway communities especially hard.
“It’s really important to the people of our state and it's not just economic,” says Sen. Mark Kelly, who also sponsored the legislation. “This is one of the wonders of the world … It’s going to take a little time, but we're going to try to do it as smartly and as expeditiously as we can.”
The bill is a companion to legislation introduced last year in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Eli Crane.
“There’s just a sense of urgency,” Crane told KNAU last year. “(Businesses owners and community members have) 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.”
