With the peak river-running season coming soon to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Park Service officials are working to replace the River District office that provided, in part, inspection of commercial and private river trips on the Colorado River through the park.

Grand Canyon Superintendent David Uberuaga, in the wake of a long-running atmosphere of sexual harassment surrounding the office's staff, announced to the park staff earlier this month that he was dismantling the office. The superintendent wrote that he takes "full responsibility for the situation the park finds itself in and I acknowledge and accept that over time, a culture was tolerated that allowed sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment."

The River District was responsible for administration, visitor and resource protection of the river corridor, including monitoring and inspection of commercial and private boating trips, according to Park Service officials in Denver. The staff also provided boat services to park staff for multi-divisional work trips, they added. The six employees in the office were to be reassigned elsewhere in the park.

James Doyle, a spokesman in the Park Service's Intermountain Region official, said Grand Canyon staff were continuing to sort out the details of how the River District office's chores would be reassigned, but added that some duties might be contracted out.

What steps the Park Service might take to see that respectful behavior is maintained among the river staff, no matter who is handling the work, is unknown.