In 1968, a California landowner demanded $100 an acre for land that officials valued at $17

I
1968,
a
Califo ia
la dow e
dema ded
$100
a
ac e
fo
la d
i side
Pi acles
that
officials
valued
at
$17;

A
lo g
legal
a d
p ope ty
dispute
betwee
the
US
fede al
gove me t
a d
Utah
busi essma
Dea
B imhall
ove
comme cial
activities
o
p otected
la d
e ded
with
a
$400,000
buyout
a d
the
demolitio
of
seve al
p ivate
facilities
ea
the
pa k
bou da y.Acco di g
to
histo ical
la d-ma ageme t
eco ds
i
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
Fact
Guide
fo
Capitol
Reef
Natio al
Pa k,
fede al
autho ities
bought
B imhall’s
p ivate
p ope ty
a d
late
o de ed
the
demolitio
of
a
tou ist
lodge
a d
pet ol
statio .
Comme cial
sto e
qua yi g
o
the
site
was
also
e ded.The
settleme t
closed
a
pe iod
of
co flict
i
southe
Utah,
whe e
p ivate
p ope ty
ights
came
i to
di ect
co flict
with
co se vatio
effo ts
du i g
the
mid-twe tieth
ce tu y.

Comme cial
e te p ise
caused
fede al
co flict

The
dispute
bega
i
1964,
whe
B imhall
built
a
mode
se vice
statio
a d
visito
lodge
alo g
Utah
State
Route
24,
ea
the
sa dsto e
cliffs
of
the
Wate pocket
Fold.
The
busi ess
was
o
p ivate
la d
su ou ded
by
fede ally
ma aged
mo ume t
te ito y.The
pet ol
statio
p ovided
fuel
a d
lodgi g
to
moto ists
visiti g
Way e
Cou ty.
The
busi ess
late
expa ded
i to
i dust ial
sto e
qua yi g.
The
emoval
of
sa dsto e
a d
g avel
ext
to
p otected
public
la d
quickly
d ew
oppositio
f om
fede al
la d
ma age s.

Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
eco ds
explai
that
heavy
machi e y,
oise,
a d
ew
st uctu es
we e
co side ed
i co siste t
with
the
atu al
la dscape
a d
the
pu pose
of
the
mo ume t.
Yea s
of
egulato y
disputes
a d
e vi o me tal
disag eeme ts
followed
as
fede al
officials
t ied
to
stop
the
i dust ial
activities.Simila
disputes
ove
p ivate
developme t
ea
atio al
mo ume ts
we e
epo ted
i
othe
weste
states
du i g
the
same
pe iod.
I

The
Hea t
of
the
Gabila s:
A
Admi ist ative
Histo y
of
Pi acles
Natio al
Mo ume t,
autho
Timothy
Babalis
desc ibed
how
fede al
officials
ofte
saw
comme cial
ope atio s
i side
mo ume t
bou da ies
as
a
p oblem
fo
co se vatio ,
leadi g
to
effo ts
to
acqui e
p ivate
la d.

Yea s
of
talks
led
to
a
buyout

With
eithe
side
willi g
to
give
up
its
positio ,
the
U.S.
Depa tme t
of
the
I te io
bega
p oceedi gs
to
acqui e
the
p ivate
p ope ty.Fede al
officials
a d
the
la dow e
egotiated
fo
seve al
yea s
befo e
eachi g
a
fi al
ag eeme t.
The
gove me t
paid
$400,000
fo
the
e ti e
p ope ty,
i cludi g
the
la d,
comme cial
buildi gs,
busi ess
equipme t,
a d
mi e al
ights.Afte
the
deed
was
t a sfe ed
to
public
ow e ship,
fede al
co t acto s
emoved
the
st uctu es.
C ews
demolished
the
tou ist
lodge,
emoved
the
pet ol
pumps,
to e
dow
the
se vice
statio ,
a d
pe ma e tly
closed
the
qua y.
The
la d
was
the
eg aded
so
ative
vegetatio
could
etu .

Pio ee
settleme t
shaped
p ope ty
ights

The
dispute
ove
the
1964
pet ol
statio
was
pa t
of
a
much
lo ge
histo y
of
p ivate
la d
ow e ship
i
Way e
Cou ty.
Settle s
had
established
homes
a d
fa ms
i
the
a ea
lo g
befo e
fede al
co se vatio
effo ts
bega .Acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
Fact
Guide,
Mo mo
pio ee s
fou ded
the
ag icultu al
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
homes.P eside t
F a kli
D.
Roosevelt
desig ated
Capitol
Reef
as
a
atio al
mo ume t
o
2
August
1937
u de
the
A tiquities
Act,
i itially
p otecti g
37,711
ac es.
Howeve ,
ma y
p ivate
ag icultu al
claims,
mi e al
holdi gs,
a d
eside tial
p ope ties
emai ed
withi
the
mo ume t.Whe
Utah
State
Route
24
was
paved
th ough
the
F emo t
Rive
Ca yo
i
1962,
tou ist
t affic
g ew
sha ply.
Bette
highway
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
sce ic
views.

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
make
it
possible
to
expa d
fede al
p otectio
ac oss
the
egio .O
18
Decembe
1971,
Co g ess
fo mally
cha ged
the
mo ume t
i to
a
atio al
pa k
a d
expa ded
its
bou da ies
to
241,904
ac es.Official
figu es
i
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
Fact
Guide
show
the
size
a d
impo ta ce
of
the
expa ded
pa k:

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 .
Today,
o
st uctu es
emai
o
the
site,
which
has
etu ed
to
dese t
sc ub
u de
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
ma ageme t.

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