Grand Canyon, Oak Flat added to endangered list

A historic preservation group has named two Arizona destinations — Grand Canyon National Park and Oak Flat campground — to its list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation expressed concerns over uranium mining around the Canyon, proposed development near the South Rim and a proposed resort on the Navajo Nation near the park's eastern border.

The group added Oak Flat campground to the list over concerns about a proposed Resolution Copper mine. The campground, located about 70 miles east of Phoenix, was set aside by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1955. The area contains archaeological sites, historical sites, and "is a sacred site to the San Carlos Apache and several other Native American tribes," the group said in a press release.

In a quiet, last-minute change to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, Congress approved a land swap that allowed the mine to move forward.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva recently introduced a bill to block the land exchange.

The group is one of many concerned about growing list of threats to the Grand Canyon.

A proposed development near Tusayan, located just south of the park, has stalled while developers seek an easement through Forest Service land and look for a reliable source of water in an area that park officials say already faces water challenges. The development could bring about 2,000 homes and commercial development.

"Until they can find a sustainable source of water … it would be premature to consider a granting of the easement," said Anthony Veerkamp, field director for the San Francisco office of the National Trust.

"Nothing adds up. This is not a place for that level of development," he said.

A proposal to build a resort and tramway to the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado River faces opposition from members of the Navajo Nation, where the project would be located, though some tribal members have supported the proposal. Developers are calling the proposed development Grand Canyon Escalade.

"It's a tribal matter. And we're thrilled that since we've been working on this issue that the tribe has elected a president that is not in favor of the Escalade," Veerkamp said.

Proponents of the resort say that it will inject much-needed economic development to an area with high unemployment.

"I'm hopeful that this threat will turn out to be a blessing in disguise, in that it will help generate a conversation between the Park Service and the Navajo tribe that's long overdue. … We think there is a development model to be pursued that does not compromise the natural and cultural landscape," Veerkamp said.

"The Grand Canyon means something that goes beyond a geology lesson. It really part of our idea of what America is."

Designation on the list doesn't lead to any specific protection — the group says it has issued a list each year since 1988 "to raise awareness about the threats facing some of the nation's greatest treasures," but that the list spurs preservation efforts that have been largely successful.

The list also included:

A.G. Gaston Motel - Birmingham, Ala.

Carrollton Courthouse – New Orleans.

Chautauqua Amphitheater – Chautauqua, N.Y.

East Point Historic Civic Block– East Point, Ga.

Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth, Texas.

Little Havana – Miami.

Old U.S. Mint – San Francisco.

South Street Seaport – New York.

AMERICA'S MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES