Having lived both in Phoenix and Tucson, I can say for sure state politicians will be in no hurry to protect the Grand Canyon. Sen. McCain wanted to dig up the canyon for resources. The argument will be "job creation," and anyone that opposes this project is against jobs. Not that I agree with it, but AZ is a big red state that also taxes solar panels even though sunlight is cheap.
For better or worse, it's not an Arizona problem, but a problem on the sovereign Navajo nation land. There were major conflicts in the northeast over this kind of stuff before the gambling money got into the political process. Sadly the reservations intended for native Americans have become a easy way for foreign interests to skirt state regulations and freely obtain the necessary property (even if currently occupied) to do so.
