Who is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon?
As employees of the National Park Service (NPS) we are tasked with both protecting the land and sharing it with the public. It is a big job that takes a lot of people.
People Also Ask
The Making of a National ParkPresident Benjamin Harrison first protected the canyon in 1893 by renaming it Grand Canyon Forest Reserve. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the canyon. He designated it a national monument in 1908.
Keep the Canyon GrandUranium mining risks contamination of precious water sources, and proposed developments threaten the natural, cultural, and scenic values of the canyon. We address these issues head-on, protecting the Grand Canyon — the heart of the Colorado Plateau — for future generations.
The Grand Canyon is a breathtaking sight to behold. Its many caves, canyons, waterways and wildlife have mystified people for ages. While it is breathtaking, there's much we actually don't know about the Grand Canyon. Secrets are hidden in the rocks, which haven't been figured out or even discovered yet.
Air pollution has routinely drifted into the canyon from metropolitan areas and nearby coal-fired power plants, affecting visibility from scenic vistas. Water in some streams has been tainted with fecal coliform from trespass cattle and from human waste.
Despite these strategically located private in-holdings, the vast majority of the Grand Canyon is owned by the federal government, held in trust for the American people and managed by a varied collection of federal agencies. Indian reservations, state land, and private land surround these federal lands.
Falling Deaths at the Grand Canyon: 19860 people have fallen off the ledge. 63 people have fallen from inside the canyon. 75 people in this category purposefully jumped or fell to commit suicide.
The mystery of the Great UnconformityWhat's tricky about the Grand Canyon is that the rocks in its walls seem to be missing a big part of the picture. In 1869, a man named John Wesley Powell observed that several layers of rock that should've been in the Canyon walls were not present.
We Are Still HereIndigenous people are the first inhabitants and caretakers of the land that later became the United States of America and Grand Canyon National Park. Native people of this land still exist today and continue to have deep cultural connection to this land.
Native Americans view the Grand Canyon through myriad lenses: As a land tied to their place of origin.As a place to be both feared and revered.As a place of opportunity.As an inspiration for cultural expression.
“The Havasupai people have actively occupied this area since time immemorial, before the land's designation as a national park and until the park forcibly removed them in 1926. This renaming is long overdue. It is a measure of respect for the undue hardship imposed by the park on the Havasupai people.”
Airplane and helicopter crashes are the most common cause of death at the Grand Canyon, followed by falling, which includes both accidents and suicides. Other causes of death include hiking and environmental deaths such as dehydration, starving, and freezing, according to data from Hastings & Hastings.
View Grand Canyon SafelyIn areas where there is a railing or fence, do not climb over the barrier. Keep an eye on all of the people in your group, especially small children. Make sure that your travel companions have both feet firmly planted on pavement or developed trails at all times. Know where the edge is.