U. S. officials say that trail wear and conflicts between mule riders and hikers has prompted the Grand Canyon Park Service to propose changes in Canyon use plans.

The (Flagstaff) Arizona Daily Sun reported on Wednesday that the number of Park Service mule train rides would be capped, but commercial mule tours would be allowed to operate at about the same level as the mule trains. They would also be less concentrated.

There were five options considered under the Park Service's environmental assessment including a "no-action alternative" that essentially would have simply continued mule operations stock use. Other options vary from halving the number of rides in a certain area to eliminating rides in another.

Rachel Bennett, an environmental protection specialist for Grand Canyon National Park, said, "Our goal is to implement something and then monitor that and see if it addresses those concerns, specifically with the trail conditions and the amount of money we need to spend to maintain them."

The Sun further reported that park officials say one of the concerns brought to their attention every year is the poor condition of the trails used by mules with ruts up to 3 feet deep. Hikers report mule waste on the trails as one of their main concerns.

The newspaper also said that the proposal has an April 30 deadline for public comment with a final decision published as soon as June. (With Inputs from Agencies)