I
1964,
a
Utah
busi essma
built
a
gas
statio
beside
Capitol
Reef
A
lo g- u i g
legal
a d
la d
ights
dispute
betwee
the
U.S.
gove me t
a d
Utah
busi essma
Dea
B imhall
ove
comme cial
developme t
i side
Capitol
Reef
Natio al
Mo ume t
e ded
with
a
fede al
buyout
wo th
$400,000.
The
deal
b ought
comme cial
activity
alo g
the
pa k
bou da y
to
a
e d.Acco di g
to
histo ical
eco ds
i
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
Fact
Guide
fo
Capitol
Reef
Natio al
Pa k,
the
fede al
gove me t
bought
p ivate
la d
i side
the
atio al
mo ume t
a d
late
o de ed
the
demolitio
of
a
pet ol
statio ,
tou ist
lodge,
a d
comme cial
qua y
o
the
p ope ty.The
settleme t
e ded
a
impo ta t
chapte
i
southe
Utah’s
la d-ma ageme t
histo y,
whe e
p ivate
busi ess
i te ests
came
i to
co flict
with
g owi g
fede al
effo ts
to
p otect
the
a ea.
Comme cial
developme ts
caused
co flict
The
dispute
bega
i
1964,
whe
local
busi essma
Dea
B imhall
built
a
mode
se vice
statio
a d
lodge
alo g
State
Route
24,
ea
the
sa dsto e
cliffs
of
the
Wate pocket
Fold.
The
p ope ty
was
p ivately
ow ed
but
was
su ou ded
by
fede ally
ma aged
mo ume t
la d.The
pet ol
statio
a d
lodge
se ved
the
g owi g
umbe
of
moto ists
visiti g
Way e
Cou ty.
The
busi ess
late
expa ded
i to
i dust ial
sto e
qua yi g.
Qua yi g
sa dsto e
a d
g avel
ea
p otected
public
la d
quickly
became
a
co ce
fo
fede al
la d
ma age s.Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
eco ds
desc ibe
how
the
qua y
wo k,
heavy
machi e y,
a d
ew
st uctu es
we e
see
as
i co siste t
with
the
atu al
la dscape
a d
the
pu pose
of
the
mo ume t.Yea s
of
disag eeme ts,
e vi o me tal
co ce s,
a d
egulato y
disputes
followed
as
fede al
officials
t ied
to
stop
the
i dust ial
activities.
Negotiatio s
led
to
a
fede al
buyout
Afte
yea s
of
disag eeme t,
the
U.S.
Depa tme t
of
the
I te io
moved
to
acqui e
the
p ivate
p ope ty.Gove me t
officials
a d
the
la dow e s
egotiated
fo
seve al
yea s
befo e
eachi g
a
ag eeme t.
The
fede al
gove me t
paid
$400,000
fo
the
p ope ty,
i cludi g
the
la d,
comme cial
buildi gs,
busi ess
assets,
a d
mi e al
claims.Afte
the
p ope ty
was
t a sfe ed
to
the
fede al
gove me t,
c ews
emoved
the
comme cial
facilities.
The
tou ist
lodge
was
demolished,
the
pet ol
pumps
we e
emoved,
the
se vice
statio
was
disma tled,
a d
the
qua y
was
closed.
The
la d
was
the
esto ed
to
a
mo e
atu al
co ditio .
Pio ee
settleme t
shaped
the
p ope ty
ights
debate
The
dispute
ove
the
pet ol
statio
eflected
a
la ge
histo y
of
p ivate
la d
ow e ship
i
Way e
Cou ty.
P ivate
settle s
had
bee
livi g
a d
wo ki g
i
the
a ea
lo g
befo e
fede al
p otectio
expa ded.Acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
Fact
Guide,
Mo mo
pio ee s
established
the
commu ity
of
F uita
a ou d
1880.
They
pla ted
f uit
o cha ds
alo g
the
F emo t
Rive
a d
built
small
fa ms
a d
homes.P eside t
F a kli
D.
Roosevelt
desig ated
Capitol
Reef
as
a
atio al
mo ume t
o
August
2,
1937,
u de
the
A tiquities
Act.
The
desig atio
i itially
p otected
37,711
ac es.
Howeve ,
p ivate
p ope ties,
fa mi g
claims,
a d
mi i g
holdi gs
emai ed
i side
a d
a ou d
the
mo ume t.Whe
Utah
State
Route
24
was
paved
th ough
the
F emo t
Rive
Ca yo
i
1962,
visito
t affic
i c eased
sha ply.
Bette
access
e cou aged
p ivate
la dow e s
to
build
busi esses
a d
tou ist
facilities,
c eati g
ew
co flicts
with
pa k
officials
who
wa ted
to
p otect
the
a ea’s
atu al
sce e y.
La d
co solidatio
helped
c eate
the
atio al
pa k
The
pu chase
a d
emoval
of
p ivate
p ope ties
helped
p epa e
the
a ea
fo
its
late
cha ge
f om
a
atio al
mo ume t
to
a
atio al
pa k.O
Decembe
18,
1971,
Co g ess
fo mally
established
Capitol
Reef
Natio al
Pa k
a d
expa ded
the
p otected
a ea
to
241,904
ac es.Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
data
shows
the
scale
a d
impo ta ce
of
the
a ea
today:
-
Total
p otected
a ea:
241,904
ac es,
o
378
squa e
miles,
ac oss
Way e,
Ga field,
Eme y,
a d
Sevie
cou ties. -
A id
climate:
The
pa k
eceives
a
ave age
of
7.98
i ches
of
p ecipitatio
each
yea
at
the
visito
ce te
weathe
statio .
Reco ded
tempe atu es
a ge
f om
a
high
of
104°F
(40°C)
to
a
low
of
-7°F
(-21.6°C). -
Cultu al
histo y:
32
fede ally
ecog ized
Native
Ame ica
t ibes
have
t aditio al
co ectio s
to
the
pa k,
eflecti g
a
histo y
of
huma
p ese ce
that
bega
ce tu ies
befo e
pio ee
settleme t. -
Wildlife
a d
pla ts:
The
pa k
has
1,252
eco ded
pla t
a d
a imal
species,
i cludi g
six
th eate ed
o
e da ge ed
pla t
species,
such
as
the
W ight
fishhook
cactus
(Scle ocactus
w ightiae)
a d
Ba eby
eed-musta d
(Schoe oc ambe
ba ebyi).
The
emoval
of
the
pet ol
statio
a d
qua y
e ded
o e
of
the
last
majo
comme cial
ope atio s
i
the
ce t al
F emo t
Rive
co ido .
It
allowed
pa k
officials
to
ma age
the
ca yo
floo
as
o e
p otected
a ea.Today,
little
visible
evide ce
emai s
of
the
pet ol
statio ,
lodge,
a d
qua y.
The
fo me
comme cial
site
has
bee
eclaimed
by
dese t
vegetatio
a d
ow
ble ds
i to
the
su ou di g
sa dsto e
la dscape
u de
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
ma ageme t.