Tusayan is not backing off on its feud with the Forest Service. The Forest Service is standing by its rejection a proposed land lease that would allow Tusayan to use Forest Service land for local government housing. Tusayan spent more than $40 thousand on a mobile home that sits on Forest Service Land. The home belonged to former Tusayan Councilman Bob Blasi, a Forest Service employee.

The Town hoped to get an extension on Blasi’s lease but that proposal was rejected because there is a new moratorium on land leases that do not involve Forest Service employees. That means the Town will have to move the mobile home. Currently there is no place to put it.

Tusayan City Councilmembers expressed outrage at that decision and previously discussed a full on legal battle.

After an executive session on April 5^th, the Town took a different approach and instead authorized City Manager Ed Duthie to send the Forest Service a letter to explain that the housing would be used to provide housing for law enforcement.

Mayor Craig Sanderson said, “The clarification is being made as to what we are trying to accomplish and see where it works out from there. Nothing’s really changed. Let’s see what comes about from a clarification that we want to use it for law enforcement.”