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Chapter 4: LAND ISSUES AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY The monument's land and legislative histories intertwine. Most issues resolved through legislation reflect shortcomings in the area's founding document and revolve around boundary adjustments and land acquisitions. On the one hand, the majority of these were carried out through presidential proclamations rather than congressional acts and experienced little, if any, friction. On the other hand, some of these corrective measures gave rise to a host of new management problems and led to still more actions. And still other activities represented the normal course of Park Service management and the monument's mission. The recent expansion and park redesignation movement represents a special case. THE NORTHERN UNIT Added in 1928, the northern unit--the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains--has been one of the most contentious areas of monument management and at the center of numerous land and legislative issues. This northwestern section was acquired primarily for its watershed and springs to provide the monument with a domestic water supply, yet its boundaries also enclosed around five hundred acres of private claims--both grazing and mining--and an abundance of wildlife, giving rise to resource management concerns and legislative revisions.  |
Last updated: February 28, 2015