Grand Canyon Receives a Renovation

The morning of Wednesday, March 7, 2007 saw the unveiling of a new tourist attraction at the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai (Wall-uh-pie) Indian tribe authorized the construction of a 1.07 million pound glass bottomed walkway that was anchored into the canyon rock.

Developer David Jin built the walkway with his own resources, and despite the canyon being considered sacred ground, the tribe's elders agreed to the plan as long as they own the walkway (Jin will receive only a percentage of the profits made).

Concerning the purpose of the glass skywalk, on the project's website David Jin says "This was a dream. Just like an eagle can fly into the Grand Canyon, my vision was to enable visitors to walk the path of the eagle, and become surrounded by the Grand Canyon while standing at the edge of the Glass Bridge. The bridge gives is a chance to share the wonder of the canyon that the Hualapai Tribe has graciously offered. My dream was to find a balance between form, function and nature. Once a dream...now a reality."

Construction on the massive skywalk began three years ago and will open in the near future to the public, at $25 per person. The bridge will be able to bear the weight of more than 71 million pounds, withstand 100+ mile per hour winds from 8 different directions, and survive an 8.0 earthquake inside a 50 miles area. Extending seventy feet over the rim, the walkway allows visitors to view the canyon floor from 4,000 feet, not an experience for those afraid of heights! At this height, visitors will be at an elevation equal to four Eiffel towers stacked one on top of another, or about 2.5 Sears Towers stacked on top of each other.

While the hope is that visitors will be able to connect with nature without compromising the Hualapai, or their cultural values there are predictably, and with validated concern, environmentalists are voicing concern over the project. The Center for Biological Diversity's Kieran Suckling believes the project is just a "tacky tourist attraction", and others feel that the grandeur of the Grand Canyon will be lessened with this modern eyesore projecting from the canyon's edge. Obvious environment concerns include an acceleration of erosion, as well as damage to the ecosystem (more people in the area could inhibit specie growth and retainment).

Other naysayers of the project include former superintendent of the Grand Canyon National Park Robert Arnberger. As reported in The Seoul Times, Arnberger was quoted as saying "It's the equivalent of an upscale carnival ride. Why would they desecrate this place with this? I've never been able to resolve the apparent conflict between the tribe's oft-stated claim that there is no better caregiver and steward of the Grand Canyon than the tribe, and their approach to the land- which is based on heavy use and economics. They say the Grand Canyon is theirs to do with however they please. Under law, it's hard to argue that proposition. But obviously the lure of dollars for the tribal treasury is greater than the obligation to manage the Grand Canyon for its cultural and historic values."

Editorial Opinion:

Personally, as an environmentally inclined person of Native American roots, I hope that everyone realizes that the importance of this situation is not on how much money is made, nor the aesthetic quality of the project, but that this wonder of nature is preserved for future generations to experience the glory of God's creation.

Sources:

www.grandcanyonskywalk.com

www.cnn.com

www.foxnews.com

http://theseoltimes.com