All Eyes On Environmentally Damaging Stilo Development Plan
May 14, 2015
As the Forest Service decides whether Stilo can get Forest Service road access to enable its environmentally damaging development project for Tusayan, voices are speaking out across the state and the country in opposition.
The Arizona Republic’s Linda Valdez wrote this story which reads in part:
“Messing with the Grand Canyon is like polishing God's shoes or editing Shakespeare. You'd better be darn sure you get it right. Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga says two proposed developments are ‘fundamentally wrong.”
Here is a link to the entire article.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/lindavaldez/2015/05/11/grand-canyon-development-poses-risks/27122061/
National Geographic is also covering the issue in an article entitled, “Grand Canyon on the Precipice”
Here is a portion of the article:
"Opponents worry about a sustainable water source, and whether a town incorporated to facilitate growth will apply appropriate scrutiny. 'The number of visitors has swelled a hundredfold since its inception as a national park, to about 4.5 million visitors a year—a number Uberuaga says is straining the park's capacity. There have been constant efforts to commercialize it, industrialize its resources, and pilfer its archaeological treasures. Stewards have struggled to protect it while sharing it with the world.”
Here is a link to the entire article.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140814-grand-canyon-national-park-threats-developments/
Earth Island Journal filed this report which reads in part:
“Gruppo Stilo is an arm of the Lombardy-based Percassi Group, a corporate consortium that builds luxury malls catering to the rich, runs Ferrari dealerships, and is involved in fashion retailers such as Billionaire (whose target clientele include “Hollywood stars, international rappers, Middle-East royalty”). The Seattle Times reports that Elling Halvorson has been accused of attempting to buy off elected officials in the Seattle area to further his business interests.”
Here is a link to the entire article.
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/grand_folly/
