A Message from Board Chair Steve Martin

Welcome, everyone, to a very special issue of the Advocate, one that is focused on water and water-related issues on the Colorado Plateau.

 

When the conversation turns to water in the West, a number of classic quotations come to mind. One of my favorites, from Loren Eiseley, goes like this: “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water…its substance reaches everywhere; it touches the past and prepares the future.” And of course we can’t forget the old adage: “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over,” often attributed to Mark Twain. In this issue, we cover a range of topics related to tensions over water and its future in the Grand Canyon region and across the Colorado Plateau.

 

Sarana Riggs takes us deep into the heart of the Little Colorado River Gorge and Big Canyon to explore the new threat of proposed dams on and near the river. A little to the west, Roger Clark probes the proposed development at Tusayan, immediately adjacent to the Grand Canyon, an issue that just keeps cropping up. Staff attorney Michael Toll transports us to northern Utah, where the Trust is working to halt a massive oil shale project. We also present a special feature on “The Voices of Grand Canyon” multimedia project, which allows you to hear firsthand from people whose cultural ties to the canyon’s lands and waters date back to time immemorial.

 

At our recent board meeting (via Zoom, of course) we discussed these and other current conservation challenges, opportunities, and what we can anticipate with potential changes on the horizon. We must take decisive action now to be ready for whatever the political tides bring us in 2021, including developing capacity and strategy. We need bold new ways of ensuring protection, wise use, and relationships that support Native sovereignty and cultures. The Colorado Plateau should be a model for conservation, inspiration, and social justice.

 

We also want to share how deeply concerned we are about recent tragic events, beginning with the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where Cyd and I now live, and reverberating through the country and the world. While no words can express our sadness, Ethan, our executive director, addresses the direction the Trust is headed.

 

On a personal note, this is also my last issue as chair of the Grand Canyon Trust’s board. It has been a privilege to serve in this role over the last four and a half years and it is an honor to pass the torch to Jim Enote, a guiding force on the board for over 20 years, who will lead us onward into 2021 and beyond.

 

Sincerely,

Steve Martin

Board Chair, Grand Canyon Trust

Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, 2007-2011