Local News

Environmental Group Asks New Dept. of Agriculture Chief to Spike Stilo’s Request to Access Forest Service Roads

March 19, 2021

 The Center for Biological Diversity is asking U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to sack Stilo’s request for Forest Service road access needed to execute Stilo’s massive development plan that would add thousands of houses to Tusayan and millions of square feet of commercial space.

In March of 2016, the federal government rejected the request after getting as many as 200,000 messages in opposition. Stilo amended its application to reduce commercial space and it promised not to use groundwater for commercial development while making no such promise for residential development.

Dr. Robin Silver, Co-Founder and Board member of the Center For Biological Diversity says the revised application makes cosmetic changes and is urging Vilsack to reverse a September 2020 decision made by the Trump administration to accept and review the application.

 Silver’s letter stated, “Nothing changed that is, except for Trump.  The project still proposes to develop more than 2,000 new homes and millions of square feet of new commercial space.”

Silver’s letter says water supplies remain a primary concern.

“In addition, since March 4, 2016, the negative effects of the proposed massive Stilo project are now even more likely to occur based on the worsening local projections of diminishing future precipitation and increasing temperatures.”

The letter was submitted March 16. Click here to read the entire letter.