FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Lawmakers on the country's largest American Indian reservation have shot down a measure to build an aerial tram to take visitors to a riverside boardwalk in the Grand Canyon, with stores, hotels and restaurants above on the East Rim.
The chances of moving forward with the Grand Canyon Escalade project now appear slim. One tribal delegate who voted for it this week says it has no chance with current lawmakers. Developers have not said what they will do next.
The legislation was opposed by environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts who are trying to keep open spaces wild. At the same time, the Trump administration is moving to free up other federal land for development.
If the tram was approved by the Navajo Nation, whose reservation borders the East Rim of the Grand Canyon, federal agencies would have had to review it.