Rafting Pioneer George Wendt Hopes Grand Canyon Can Be Rescued from Proposed Development Plans

Photo by http://www.oars.com/press.html

Championing the rights of rivers is nothing new to George Wendt, founder and owner of what may be the world’s best-known river rafting company, O.A.R.S. Over its 45-year history the company has contributed more than $3 million toward the preservation of the environment and to conservation initiatives worldwide.

Today, Wendt has thrown down the gauntlet against developers who would threaten aquifers that feed the Colorado River in its course through the Grand Canyon. At issue is the proposed Tusayan development that would add 2,200 homes and collateral services and amenities less than two miles from the South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.

And in another section of the Canyon, Wendt hopes that sufficient forces can be brought to bear against the creation of a gondola designed to transport upwards of 4,000 tourists daily from the rim to the river. This is known as the Grand Canyon Escalade project.

The National Park Service has already expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact these projects could have on the Grand Canyon. Read Full Story

Source: http://outdoorindustry.org/news/industry.php?newsId=20528