here’s an article about the original thread, including a transcription of the tweets & some context (May 28, 2019)
another article that goes more into the issue of water (May 28, 2019) (“The Havasupai Tribe has, in fact, voiced concerns about groundwater pumping near the Grand Canyon. In 2016, the tribe sued the city of Williams and other well owners, saying the drilling of more wells for resorts, developments, theme parks and uranium mines, among other businesses, increasingly threatens the tribe’s water. […] Duthie said those sorts of concerns shouldn’t hinder Stilo’s proposal for the hotel on Kotzin Ranch because the company wouldn’t use a well.”)
as of January 24, 2020, Stilo had submitted a “a revised proposal for roads and utility easements connecting to parcels of land they own that are surrounded by the Kaibab National Forest” (unanimously approved). opening these roads would require “some blasting.” as regards the groundwater:
Gitlin also worried that the new proposal did not adequately protect the area’s groundwater.
The proposal promises that commercial water needs — which during peak season, would be 275,000 gallons a day — would have to be hauled in by truck. It still allows “residential uses” to be met by pumping groundwater.
In the proposal, Stilo offered to agree to a “complete prohibition” on commercial groundwater use, except in the event of “technological breakthroughs resulting in proven zero-impact upon groundwater resources.”
It suggested a restrictive covenant or a conservation easement to enforce that restriction, but it’s not clear who would be responsible for that enforcement.
effectively, plans for development are going forward, & previous reassurances that no immediate proposals were being made seem like lies.
it’s worth mentioning in light of some other comments going around that the issue here isn’t preserving the untouched pristine beauty of nature or something–this kind of terra nullius-inflected rhetoric in fact relies upon colonialist & genocidal logic–but rather the responsibilities & livelihoods of the people who belong to the land & stand to be harmed by these proposals.
incidentally, the Havasupai Tribe have a COVID-19 relief fund that you can donate to here, in addition to emailing & calling the people listed above.
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