In years past, legislation to move the Escalade forward has failed to attract a sponsor, despite support from former President Ben Shelly.

After the public comment period ends, the legislation will be considered by three committees and then, regardless of whether it passes or fails at that level, will go to a vote by the full council, which convenes its next regular session in October, said Tom Platero, with the Office of Legislative Services. The resolution must gain approval by a two-thirds majority to pass because it would waive a certain provision of the Navajo Nation Code relative to dispute resolution.

Opponents of the plan note that more than 30 tribal members who hold grazing leases in the area proposed for development are still against the project. Delores Wilson-Aguirre, whose siblings are among the leaseholders, said they plan to file a lawsuit if the Escalade is approved despite their opposition.

The proposal could also face a challenge by the National Park Service, which has stood behind a 1993 ruling from the U.S. Department of the Interior that classified the park boundary as a quarter-mile from the eastern bank of the Colorado River, which would include the area planned for the tramway.