On Tuesday, the Hualapai Tribe received a U.S. Bureau of Land Management permit to finalize an alternate route for the Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk attraction. The bypass will curtail a dispute regarding Diamond Bar Road.
In a letter to BLM on Friday, U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., requested the permit be expedited, stating that “due to the closure of Diamond Bar Road, the Hualapai Tribe and thousands of tourists no longer have access to Haulapai lands.”
According to the tribe, the bypass could be open for tourists as soon as this afternoon.
“This problem was escalating and needed a swift resolution, so I’m pleased that BLM responded quickly to our request,” Kirkpatrick said. “The Grand Canyon is an environmental treasure and an economic driver, so we must ensure it is accessible and protected.”
The alternative route was needed due to the fact that Nigel Turner, the owner of the land whose road had provided access to the Skywalk had decided to charge admission fees to visitors who crossed a portion of his 168-square-mile Grand Canyon Ranch.
The Hualapai Indian tribe, which operates the Skywalk, called the fee “unethical and potentially illegal.”
According to the Arizona Republic, “Turner said his attorney sent letters to the U.S. attorney’s office in Arizona, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, Mohave County and others two weeks ago explaining that the road was private. He said the county validated his claim this week after sheriff’s deputies told his staff last weekend that they could not charge the toll.”
The Republic reported that Turner’s employees would not have charged a toll for tribal members, law enforcement or emergency vehicles, or other government vehicles.