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Landowner refuses to reopen road to Hualapai Tribe's Skywalk

Thursday, June 6, 2013

A non-Indian rancher has refused to reopen a road that provides access to the Hualapai Reservation in Arizona.

As part of a settlement that involved the federal government, Nigel Turner, the owner of Grand Canyon Ranch, agreed to provide access across his property to the Diamond Bar Road. The road leads to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the tribe's popular tourist attraction.

The agreement expired in 2012 so Turner has cut off access. He also has tried to stop construction of a new road to the reservation and was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly threatening a worker there.

Turner received $750,000 for the right of way to construct the new road. News reports conflict on whether the tribe or the federal government paid him.

The tribe is working with the Bureau of Land Management on a temporary route to the Skywalk. The new road that's being constructed is still about a year away from being finished, The Arizona Republic reported.

Get the Story:
Rancher fights tribe, BLM over access to Canyon attraction (The Arizona Republic 6/6)
Property owner accused of threatening workers (The Mohave Daily News 6/6)