Grand Canyon Conservancy Funds Critical Park Projects During Shutdown

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. (Oct. 28, 2025) — As the federal government shutdown continues to affect operations across national parks, Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC), the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, is providing funding to ensure critical, time-sensitive projects continue without interruption.

The organization is contributing $48,000 to fund essential Science and Resource Management projects and to cover National Park Service staff time on work that cannot be delayed. The projects address urgent environmental, cultural, and wildlife conservation needs across the canyon, allowing vital research and preservation activities to proceed despite the shutdown.

“Our mission has always been to support Grand Canyon National Park, a role that becomes all the more essential when the park is facing challenges like the government shutdown,” said Liz Silkes, CEO of Grand Canyon Conservancy. “These projects protect the canyon’s ecosystems, cultural heritage, and water quality—efforts that can’t be paused without consequence. We’re proud that generous donor support allows us to step in and keep this vital work going.”

Projects Funded During the Shutdown

Dragon Bravo Fire Cultural Assessments and Reporting

Following this year’s Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim, GCC funding enables a park fire archaeologist to complete assessments of cultural and archaeological sites affected by the blaze. The resulting reports will be shared with the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office and the park’s tribal partners to guide future preservation and stabilization efforts. Completing the reports now will prevent further resource damage and inform next steps for site protection.

Post-Fire Water Quality and Flood Risk Monitoring

To safeguard Grand Canyon’s water resources, GCC is funding water quality analysis, runoff modeling, and the installation of water gauges above Phantom Ranch. The project is designed to detect potential contaminants and build an early warning system for flood risks following the fire. The work involves park geoscientists and American Conservation Experience interns.

Wildlife Collaring and Tracking for Innovative Conservation K-9 Program

GCC funding supports the collaring of habituated elk and bighorn sheep on the South Rim as part of a renewed effort to reduce human-wildlife conflicts through innovative, science-based management. This movement data will serve as the first documentation of the effectiveness of using trained Conservation K-9 units—specifically, a dog named Blue—to alter the behavior of habituated ungulates. The collars must be deployed before winter erases the temporary markings used to identify the animals and will provide essential baseline data to evaluate the impact of the K-9 intervention on wildlife behavior and human-wildlife interactions.

Fisheries: Early Detection of Invasive Fish for Native Fish Protection

The fisheries program will continue monitoring for the potential spread of non-native fish species in critical reaches of the Colorado River. This work will include collaborating with teams from the Bureau of Reclamation and the American Conservation Experience for early detection and rapid response work. Completing this work during the shutdown will keep the fisheries team on schedule to protect native species and habitats.

Additional GCC support covers data management, mapping, safety measures, and equipment for these projects.

“Thanks to the generosity of GCC members and donors, this funding ensures the continuity of critical science and stewardship at one of the most iconic places on Earth,” Silkes said. “These are the moments when steady partnership can have a tremendous impact.”

About Grand Canyon Conservancy

Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, raising private funds, operating retail shops within the park, and providing educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the region. Our members fund projects including trails and historic building preservation, educational programs for the public, and the protection of wildlife and their natural habitat. Grand Canyon Conservancy inspires generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon. For more information, visit www.grandcanyon.org.

Photos: A vegetation biologist studies and documents a paintbrush flower located in a North Rim meadow (DOI BAER Team Photo), DOI BAER Team hydrologists assess a minor washout as part of their work to ground-truth soil burn severity findings (DOI BAER Team Photo), Razorback sucker (Photo Credit: Amy Martin), Grand Canyon wildlife biologists and law enforcement rangers work together to safely tranquilize habituated elk in developed areas and fit them with GPS collars (NPS Photo)