South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park – NPS
Grand Canyon, AZ – The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on a proposal to enhance cellular and Internet services and data network capacity within developed areas of Grand Canyon National Park.
These services are currently insufficient to meet the needs of visitors, the NPS, and park partners. Action is needed at this time to address these deficiencies and develop guidance for types and locations of telecommunications infrastructure within the park that minimizes impacts to natural and cultural resources and visitor experiences.
The current proposed action includes accommodating up to five additional telecommunications towers within developed areas on the North and South Rims, the installation of small-cell nodes in high visitor use areas, and the installation of fiber optic communications cable along existing corridors. The proposed action also includes the removal or relocation of existing telecommunications infrastructure.
Public comments on the proposed action will be accepted July 22 until midnight, Aug. 11, 2019. Additional information is available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/GCTelecommunications.
During this time, any individual or group can submit scoping comments electronically through the PEPC project website, which is the preferred method for submitting comments, in person at public scoping open house events, or by mail.
Interested parties can participate in the following public scoping open house:
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
4 to 6 p.m. (MST)
Shrine of the Ages Auditorium
20 S. Entrance Road
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
A virtual open house webinar is also scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 12 to 1 p.m. (MST). For additional information on the webinar, visit: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GCTelecommunications.
Comments by mail can be sent to:
Superintendent
Grand Canyon National Park
Attn: Telecommunications Plan
P.O. Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Comments that provide insights about the project purpose and need and the park’s current proposal are particularly helpful. New ideas and proposals are welcome. Following the public comment period, the NPS will analyze and consider all feedback and prepare an environmental assessment (EA), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, to develop and evaluate alternatives.
The NPS will not select an alternative for implementation until after the analysis of the alternatives and their potential impacts has been completed within the EA. There will be a second opportunity for public comment on the EA later this year.
