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The Colorado River forms a 100-mile boundary between Grand Canyon National Park and the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The National Park Service and the Tribe dispute exactly where the boundary lies. Rather than litigate the matter, they have agreed to search for ways to cooperatively manage the disputed area. They have contracted with Mary Orton to mediate this process. The three parties to the dispute are the Hualapai Tribe, Grand Canyon National Park, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Lake Mead's involvement stems from the fact that many of the river trips through Grand Canyon end at the Lake. The negotiating team includes the Chairwoman and Vice-Chairwoman of the Tribe, and the Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents of the two Park Service entities. On the first day Mary facilitated the discussion among the three parties, they signed an Agreement of Purpose, setting forth their intent to work towards a cooperative accord. Approximately nine months later, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a framework agreement for cooperation in the Zone of Dispute, now known as the Area of Cooperation. The negotiating team continues to work on adding specific guidelines to the MOU for issues in cooperative management. Examples include river running operations, helicopter operations, emergency procedures, mutual aid, and fees and permits. |
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