Grand Canyon National Park, managed by the Department of Interior’s National Park Service, is using about $18 million in Recovery funds for 15 projects, ranging from preserving trails to making park facilities more energy efficient. Intended beneficiaries include not only sight-seers and hikers, but also a Native American tribe living on Grand Canyon National Park land.
Here are three projects.
Rehabilitating Historic South Kaibab Trail
A majority of the work being done on the South Kaibab Trail involves repair and replacement of stonework - including steps and retaining walls - originally crafted by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a workforce established in the 1930s as part of the New Deal. Repair workers need to have master-level masonry skills and a background in historic preservation of masonry structures.
Repairing North Rim Forest Trails
Various forest trails on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon were damaged by wildfire in 1999 and 2000. Where historic stone steps and paths remain, they are being rehabilitated using techniques the original stone masons used. Where they have been completely destroyed, they are being reconstructed using historically compatible techniques.
Housing for Havasupai Tribe
This project, already completed, involved construction of six new housing units at Supai Camp, an area near Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim that has been home to the Havasupai Tribe since the 1930s. The new housing units, which project officials and tribe members declared ready with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in August 2010, replaced six that had been in substandard condition.
More information on National Park Service Recovery projects in the Grand Canyon.
All photographs courtesy of the National Park Service.
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