Grand Canyon

Having just completed a backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, I read your editorial (May 4), “Letting Mother Nature Reign,” with great interest. Unfortunately, your suggestion that flights below the canyon rim be banned is probably unrealistic.

Given that the Grand Canyon receives 3 to 4 million visitors a year, it is inevitable that human activity will disturb the natural beauty and serenity of the place to some degree. Hikers themselves are responsible for a measure of this disturbance. Parts of the park trail system more resemble busy freeways than paths through the wilderness. The Park Service must maintain the trail facilities that accommodate the human traffic; they use helicopters to gain access to these facilities. Should we outlaw the Park Service’s flights below the rim as well?

The Park Service’s response to human pressure in the canyon has been to restrict access to a tolerable level. Overnight facilities inside the canyon must be reserved months in advance. As a result, much of the inner canyon remains relatively unspoiled. One wonders whether a similar approach to air traffic would not also succeed. Certain parts of the canyon could be declared off limits to aircraft, and the overall number of flights could be restricted. Then the demands for flights could be met without unduly disturbing backpackers.

W. LEWIS JOHNSON

Venice