Developers and a number of enviro groups are backing a compromise plan to build a large tourist and resident area outside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The proposal, which federal officials are likely to approve today, would create Canyon Forest Village on 272 acres near the south entrance to the park, including new hotels and restaurants for the millions of tourists who visit every year, as well as housing for park employees. Eight enviro groups are backing the plan, in part because developers agreed to use energy-efficient systems, implement recycling programs, and draw water from outside the park rather than inside. Light-rail service is planned so visitors can leave their cars outside the park.
