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Greening Success Story: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Grand Canyon
National Park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and nearby
uplands in the northeast corner of Arizona. A World Heritage site, the
park contains five of the seven earth life zones and three of the four
North American deserts. More than five million people visit the park each
year, and because many are in single-family vehicles, air-pollution
problems have increased there.
To address these problems, a Sustainable Grand Canyon Workshop was held
in September 1994. It included regional and national environmental
leaders; representatives of government, utilities, the community, and
Native American groups; and private developers. Together they sought ways
to make the Grand Canyon more environmentally and economically
sustainable. During the workshop, four subgroups formed to discuss
resource efficiency, visitors' experiences, information management, and
implementation and partnering plans. In addition to specific
recommendations from each subgroup, the workshop participants decided to
make the park a globally recognized model for sustainable development that
can be translated to parks and communities all over the world.
Since the workshop, specific actions taken by Grand Canyon include
reducing the footprint of buildings (the amount of land required for each
building and its impact on the land), reusing buildings, minimizing the
use of water and power resources, and recycling as many materials as
possible. As an early greening innovator, the park has often had to deal
with the risks involved in finding and implementing alternatives,
particularly in the areas of transportation and financing. Financing
options now being considered include the use of private money,
philanthropic donations, and entrance fees, as well as congressional
appropriations.
Staff at Grand Canyon continue to identify greening projects and to
make greening a part of project planning. This includes assessing funding
needs and priorities for greening early in the planning process. However,
like other national parks, Grand Canyon has faced numerous funding
challenges in seeking support for greening projects. Therefore,
alternative financing mechanisms could be a good interim solution for many
Grand Canyon projects.
Building Energy
A building energy and water tracking database, developed for the
Sustainable Grand Canyon Workshop, is used to manage energy use in the
park. Natural lighting (daylighting) and compact fluorescent lamps are
used in all new housing and will be featured at the Canyon View
Information Plaza. The park is also successfully using photovoltaic (PV)
power in several applications. One ranger station has been powered 100% by
PV for the past 7 years, and another has been for the past
10 years. Both PV installations are year-round applications. The
stations use propane fuel for cooking and heating.
The new Canyon View Information Plaza is designed to feature
computer-controlled natural ventilation. Sensor-operated motors will open
and close the windows. The facility features passive solar heating and
uses natural, passive solar cooling. The Canyon View project was scheduled
to be completed in Fall 2000.
Water
Since the Grand Canyon is in the middle of one of the driest spots in
the country, water is a very scarce and precious commodity. On a peak-use
day, 500,000 gallons of water is pumped 17 miles from the North
Rim of the Canyon to be used at the more popular South Rim. Water is
pumped up more than 3,000 vertical feet to the South Rim. Twenty
thousand gallons are also piped 26 miles to the Desert View site on
peak days.
Water-conserving faucets and showers are used at the Phantom Ranch
lodging facility, in concessionaires' lodging units, and in the Desert
View section of the park, which contains staff housing.
The park reclaims 100% of the wastewater at South Rim Village, for a
total of 500,000 gallons per day during peak summer months. Reclaimed
water is used for flushing toilets and for some irrigation needs. The park
has also increased water rates for concessionaires and other users to
encourage water conservation efforts.
Transportation
Grand Canyon has had a South Rim public transportation system since
1974. The park is working on further reducing the number of private cars
driven in the park, to ease congestion and reduce adverse impacts on air
quality. The emphasis in transportation should change from cars to
alternative modes, possibly as soon as 2002. The new transportation plan
includes extensive walking and biking trails. Soon, the entire park fleet
could consist of electric vehicles or vehicles that run on compressed
natural gas or liquid natural gas.
Solid Waste
Grand Canyon's recycling program includes glass, aluminum, cardboard,
paper, plastic, motor oil, and antifreeze. Glass is crushed and used as
aggregate in road base and in asphalt. Other recycled materials are sent
to various recycling centers. The park has also begun a composting program
to combine sewage sludge with wood chips to be reapplied at revegetation
sites.
Building Design and Construction
Since the Sustainable Grand Canyon Workshop, the park has been reducing
the footprints of its buildings (a building's imprint on the land). The
first choice considered is to build projects on already disturbed land or
to reuse buildings, whenever possible. In addition, the park uses recycled
plastic products for its benches and picnic tables.
Site Planning and Landscaping
Grand Canyon is using only drought-tolerant and native vegetation for
all new landscaping. This helps to minimize water use as well as limit
chemical applications. Special landscaping is also being used to control
erosion and modify heat islands. Infill development, that is, placing new
buildings between existing buildings, is becoming a common practice, and
there is a strong emphasis on reducing disturbances to the habitats of
wildlife. Mulch made from chipped branches and compost is used for
revegetation.
Education
The Canyon View Information Plaza visitor education component will
feature wayside exhibits that detail sustainable efforts in the park, such
as solar design, reclaimed water, revegetation, and the use of mass
transit.
For More Information, Contact:
Brad Traver And See These Web Sites:
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