(NEWS RELEASE)
(TUSAYAN, Ariz.) Businesses in Northern Arizona continue to suffer because the federal government refuses to even consider the idea of using money from South Rim business owners, the State of Arizona, or the adjacent town of Tusayan to partially open the Grand Canyon during the government shutdown as was done in 1995.
In fact, a Park Ranger in Washington DC was quoted by The Washington Times as saying, “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”
Red Feather Properties Manager Clarinda Vail said, “What is truly disgusting is the way these federal bureaucrats have decided to make us here in northern Arizona suffer all for the sake of dramatizing the government shutdown. Eighteen years ago, President Clinton negotiated with then-Governor Symington to partially re-open the Canyon during a shutdown. It’s regrettable that Mr. Obama is not willing to negotiate.”
The Town of Tusayan voted last night to appropriate more than $200,000 and businesses in the town adjacent to the Grand Canyon have pledged another $150,000 to fund a partial opening of the Grand Canyon National Park during the government shutdown.
Vail added, “Tusayan has come together and made this offer because every day the Grand Canyon remains closed is another day thousands of tourists are turned away. It’s bad for local businesses but more importantly it’s bad for the Park’s reputation. Neither will fully recover if the federal government continues to ignore our plight.”
Red Feather Properties, which has been serving tourists in northern Arizona for nearly a century, initiated the idea and pledged $25,000.
Red Feather Properties owns and operates the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan and owns a number of commercial properties in Tusayan and has been serving tourists in Northern Arizona for nearly a century. Tusayan is adjacent to the South Rim bordering the Grand Canyon National Park.
