Abstract:

More than 21 years have elapsed since the National Parks Overflights Act mandated the prompt “substantial restoration” of the natural quiet of the aircraft‐noise imperiled soundscape of the Grand Canyon National Park. However, as of 2008, long‐anticipated, critical compliance benchmarks have still not been timely met in the Park. The past two Administrations have not conformed to specifications∕standards∕deadlines set or appropriate to the NPS under its legal mandates. However, every battle has its turning point. Will 2009 be the turning point to a quiet Canyon? Success will require immediate NPS application of long‐established restoration standards (based on “audibility”), Park zoning considerations, and buttressing with emerging supplemental noise indicators, which trigger loudness and temporal impulsiveness mitigations. Effectiveness of imminently anticipated management actions in the form of a soon forthcoming 2009 environmental impact statement and stepped up political oversight will be examined. These will pit restoration of the authentic Grand Canyon wilderness soundscape against the current, unsavory option: “the Soundscape of Nowhere.” The protracted Grand Canyon imbroglio illuminates similarly unmet, pressing restoration needs, along with the need for increased executive/congressional oversight, re low‐altitude air tour noise unacceptably continuing at similarly impacted, famed national parks, which otherwise remain subject to long‐term, aviation noise impairment.