Who Holds the Power? Stakeholder Negotiations in the Tusayan Land Exchange Discourse

Principal Investigator:

Barbara Kearney

The National Park Service is continually faced with a variety of issues, such as the inability of its employees to find affordable housing within gateway communities, projected increases in visitor numbers, and associated resource degradation. The Forest Service often seeks to consolidate its land holdings in order to protect them from development or uses inconsistent with Forest Service management goals. One method of addressing these issues is through land exchanges between the Forest Service and private developers. This study examines the ability of a land exchange in the Kaibab National Forest to alleviate resource pressure on the adjacent Grand Canyon National Park by directing growth in its gateway community, Tusayan. Issues of power, stakeholder negotiations, and community acceptance are examined.