San Juan Island Administrative History

CHAPTER 4:
San Juan Island National Historical Park Management

Development Planning

The first step taken by the National Park Service following passage of the 1966 legislation was to develop a plan of action. A planning team of individuals from the western regional and Denver Service Center offices was assigned to develop a master plan, which was approved in October 1967. Bennett Gale would continue to serve as the NPS representative until 1969, when Superintendent Carl Stoddard was hired. The regional office and the Denver Service Center would continue to play a major role in the completion of initial development outlined in the park's master planning document.

Master Plan, 1967

The master planning document for San Juan Island N.H.P. is a standard National Park Service document, offering basic statistical information about the site and identifying major planning issues/problems, and offering solutions to aid in the establishment and formal dedication of the park. The plan offers and prioritizes recommended actions for initial site development.

Primary objectives for San Juan were listed as follows: acquire lands identified as necessary for interpretation, protection, and development; develop a program of restoration and stabilization at both camps to preserve the historic settings; develop necessary facilities for the interpretation of the historic story; develop a program to maintain and protect the historic scene and structures; utilize the recreational opportunity of the park, provided that it does not conflict with the park's basic purpose; and encourage and preserve through local interest and action the complementary stories and artifacts of the San Juan Islands. The plan also provided a scope of collections statement, an interpretive theme, and an architectural theme.

In summarizing the plan's programming intent, it states the general operating mission of the park to be the preservation and interpretation of the historic story of joint occupation and the "Pig War." To this end, the park would complete certain stabilization and limited restoration of the historic scene, and develop visitor access and parking, interpretation, picnicking, and camping at both American and English Camp sites. The plan also called for: establishment of a small maintenance area; limited residential development; and the establishment of a contact station in Friday Harbor, with placement of administrative headquarters in town. Finally, the summary suggests that the basic components of this development should be completed by October 21, 1972, the centennial anniversary of the peaceful settlement of the boundary dispute. This occasion would serve as the formal dedication of the park.

Following this summary, the plan introduces factors that would affect all development of the park and which would continue to guide park planning. In addition to a budget limitation of $3,542,000 for lands acquisition, planning would also be shaped by promises given during public hearings to limit recreational facilities to auto and boat campgrounds, restore English Camp structures and the American Camp Redoubt, and provide Jim Crook with life tenure for his house plus use of three surrounding acres. [2] Jurisdiction would be coordinated through cooperative agreements with local government or private individuals. These items form the basic minimum planning needs to be met and achieved through this planning document.

The document identified major problems facing site development and outlined solutions and existing opportunities for park development in the following specific management areas: lands acquisition, development, research needs, resource management, maintenance and protection, and visitor use.

For lands acquisition, the plan pointed out the following problems: the NPS did not actually have title to any necessary lands yet; the title to tidelands adjacent to the proposed park boundary was divided between private and state ownership; no initial contact point in Friday Harbor existed; and boat use between Guss Island and English Camp could impact the historic scene. Recommended solutions included:

• acquire lands identified in boundary establishment planning
• acquire control of tidelands adjacent to the park through agreements, easements, purchase, or donation
• obtain suitable space near the ferry landing as an information office and administrative headquarters
• obtain scenic rights and restrict water use at English Camp and Guss Island

Research needs identified for park programming dealt strictly with the location and appearance of historic structures. The plan called for a research study to determine the following information: locate all historic structures; determine their size, appearance, and use; identify existing structures which were intrusive elements on the historic scene; identify historic structures which were removed from the park; and provide information to guide restoration of the structures, remains, and the historic scene.

The only natural resource management need identified is one that should surprise no one familiar with the island: rabbits, and lots of them. The document called for the development of a control and action plan to reduce and eventually eliminate the problems of over grazing and burrowing by rabbits at American Camp, which threatened to destroy the native habitat typical of the historic scene and perhaps undermine the stability of historic structures.

With regards to maintenance and protection, fire was identified as a threat to the park, particularly to all historic structures. The plan recommended coordinating cooperative agreements with local and state agencies for mutual assistance in case of a fire, as well as for staff fire training, visitor programs in fire safety, and the installation of fire suppression systems in park buildings.

The plan identified certain visitor uses at the sites to be detrimental and destructive to the historic setting. In addition, no interpretive facilities were in place, no personnel or management were available for visitor safety or resource protection, and no overnight facilities were available. The plan recommended the limitation of visitors to compatible use only, development of interpretive facilities at both American and English Camps, development of on-site residences for park staff to provide 24-hour protection, and the development of a limited number of campsites for auto and boat users.

A number of items were identified as deficient or nonexistent. Proper utilities did not exist at either site to accommodate NPS development. Water, sewer, power, and telephone needs and sources had to be identified. Burial of all power lines to eliminate impact on the historic setting would be necessary. Specific needs included roads, parking, and trails at both camps; seasonal employee quarters; maintenance facilities; redirection of incompatible county roads; elimination of Crook family buildings intruding on the historic scene; and the placement of floats on all docks and possible dredging to accommodate boat use.

After identifying what needs existed to establish and begin basic park operations, the document prioritized those needs, breaking them into three categories: pre-construction, construction, and operational.

For pre-construction, the document recommended acquisition of lands; acquisition of office space in Friday Harbor; assignment of staff to provide practical and immediate interim park operations; stabilization of structures at English Camp; and preparation of an interpretive prospectus and request for bids for structural and site rehabilitation, construction, and an exhibit plan.

Under the construction phase, the park would begin site rehabilitation, historic building restoration, and park service facilities construction, acquisition of remaining lands, fulfillment of staffing needs, and preparation of the interpretive devices called for under the interpretive prospectus. Completion of any shoreline developments and the beginning of full park operations would also fall under the construction phase.

Land ownership and use map, 1969 Master Plan.

Under the final, operational phase, the park would develop a program of long-term maintenance providing preservation and protection of structures and grounds, acquisition of any inholdings, and hiring of staff for full park operations.

With a planning document in hand, the NPS moved ahead with development for the park. First and foremost, the NPS needed to acquire title to the lands identified for inclusion in the historical park.

Lands Acquisition

Unfortunately for public relations matters, fifteen of the tracts acquired by the NPS ended in condemnation proceedings, and took until 1972 to complete. As noted by NPS historian John Hussey in the park's proposal document, changing land use patterns meant the lands being acquired by the NPS were prime residential and vacation property. Owners knew that land values were on the rise; the demand for seasonal vacation property was growing.

On June 16, 1965, private property owners identified in the American Camp and English Camp acquisitions were as follows:

	American Camp Owners	Acres
* 1, 2, 3	Kenneth Dougherty (1/3 each)	75
	George J. Franck (1/3 each)	440.79
	Richard N. Franck (1/3 each)
4	Fredrick W. Whitridge (improved)	77.75
5	F.V. Landahl	1.20
6	Harold J. Jones	49.46
7	Leslie M. Bitner	20
8	Roland F. Gray	2.32
9	Randall V. Green	1.70
10	Orville R. Clary	1.95
* 11	T.J.R. Corps (improved)	281.62
* 12	Maynard Monette	26
13	Clifford L. Dightman	81.08
14	Floyd L. Foreman (improved)	5
15	James F. Bolster	3.37
* 16	Jack D. Havens	4.30
* 17	Alfred Kallicot	1.38
* 18	Colby Crabtree	2.76
* 19	F.H. Golm	1.38
* 20	D.C. Walker	3.45
21	Elizabeth McCain	3.62
22	R.K. Smith	1.50
* 23	L.L. Kelly	3
* 24	Brian Griffin	2.76
25	Edward O'Conner	3
* 26	Charles Schmidt	2.50
27	Lieth Wade	2.70
* 28	Harold J. Rodgers	60
29	C. Turick	20
30	Raynold V. Dickhaus	1.51
31	Alton R. Boyce	2.01
32	Norris Bartley (improved)	.92
33	William V. Catlaw	1.48
34	John Y. Fleming	31.76
	Total private property - American Camp	1,217.27
	English Camp Owners	Acres
1	Jim Crook (improved)	184.98
2	Harly S. Jones	78.92
3	Agnes Jamison (improved)	1.40
* 4	Roche Harbor Lime and Cement Co.	80
5	Fern Nicoll Ingoldsby	73.90
	Total private property - English Camp	419.20

* Indicates condemnation proceedings

Condemnation proceedings for tracts of non-willing sellers totaled 548 acres and were settled in federal district courts in Seattle, Bellevue, and Friday Harbor. At issue was the value of the properties: fair market value for the acreage did not necessarily equate to the dollar value that could be gained if properties were subdivided and sold as residential lots. To gain a perspective of the development plans that were alternately considered, the Jas. F. Bolster Agency in Bellingham at one time was prepared to sell 100' x 500' foot and 100' x 200' foot lots for the T.J.R Corps property along the stretch of American Camp's southern edge at $17.00 per frontage foot. Plans called for 66 individual lots. [3]

Washington State park lands were required under federal legislation to be donated, not purchased. In 1967, the Washington State legislature approved donation of their properties under the following conditions: that the National Park Service had ten years to develop the site or it would revert to state ownership and that title to tidelands remained with the state. The state parks commission also requested that the NPS help facilitate a land transfer between the state and the Department of the Interior for lands bordering state park property elsewhere in the Washington.

In all, the park acquired 1,752 acres at a total cost of approximately 3.5 million dollars. [4] In any condemnation situation, there are going to be ill feelings on behalf of those losing their property. San Juan Island was no exception, and the landowners in condemnation proceedings, most of who remained on the island, provided a source of anti-park sentiment on the island. This resentment has quieted as time has passed.

Detail of development residential lots, Bolster Agency, no date