“Thanks.” Jack watched Culberson take a chair against the wall. More of what he knew of the man began to come to him. Culberson’s ranch abutted the park, sandwiched between the park and part of the new national monument. He was someone the agency was extremely careful about. Culberson knew how to get what he wanted. So, why would he be at a chamber of commerce meeting?
Latham led him back to the head of the table. Jack took the seat to his left.
“Welcome to The Inn of the Canyons,” Latham said, bringing the meeting to order. “Jack Chastain of the Park Service has joined us. I think we all know each other here.” He looked around the table. “Anyone need an introduction?”
No one asked. Jack saw faces he did not know, but he saw no point in asking for names.
“Jack, a lot is up in the air with the new National Monument. We wanted to have this little meeting--this discussion--with the Park Service, to pass on some things,” Latham said. His words were so deliberate, they sounded rehearsed. “We want the agency to know some imperatives in managing the monument...if it is to be a good neighbor to the community.”
Imperatives? Jack felt his heart pick up pace.
Latham continued. “Piedras Coloradas National Park has been here since early in the past century. But the National Monument is all very new, and frankly, the way the past president went about creating it has the potential to affect major plans for the people of this community.” He looked around the table. “Is that a fair characterization?”
That was the only opening needed by Helen Waite, the county commissioner. “We are offended by the federal government creating this National Monument,” she said angrily. She thumped a bony finger on the table. “We haven’t been involved in the least. We had no chance to participate in anything. We weren’t involved in deciding which lands would be in it, where the boundaries would be located, how it would be managed, anything. If I had my way I would have Congress cancel it.”
“Revoke it,” Herrera said.
“Whatever. The Park Service can work with us, or if they won’t, we’ll go straight to Congress. And by working with us, I mean working with us to complete the Canyon de Oro project. As planned.”
Wayne Enslow nodded at Waite.
“What do you have to say, Mr. Chastain?” Waite asked.
Jack looked around the table and back to Waite. “I’m sorry Madam Commissioner, but I’m not sure this is the proper forum for that kind of discussion.”
“There is no proper forum for these kinds of discussions,” boomed a voice from against the back wall.
All eyes turned in the direction of the voice. It was Kip Culberson.
“This is your classic smoke-filled room,” he continued. “But, we want you to take a message back to the Park Service. We expect you to work with us. Today you can ask questions, and you can listen to the answers. If there’s room for you to educate us, we’re here to let you do so. But, we’re expecting that education to be along the lines of how you can make things happen. If it’s not, we’ll elevate this matter to those who can do something. We’ll find someone who’ll cooperate.”
Jack looked around the room. All faces were on him. He had no idea how to respond.
Tom Herrera laid his palm on the table. “I’ll tell you the issues that are important to us. First--road access into Canyon de Oro. The project is extremely important to the people of this county. We want the Park Service to allow the construction of a road across the national monument and into the Enslow property.” He glanced in Enslow’s direction, and then back at Jack. “This is probably the single most important thing the Park Service can do to limit the impact of this new monument.” He stopped and glared, waiting for an answer.
The answer would not be an easy one to give. Jack tried not to look anxious, but he had to say something. “Mr. Herrera, here’s the background on building a road across the monument into Canyon de Oro,” Jack said. He hoped the rhythm of a detailed response would help. “When the President signed the proclamation establishing the National Monument, it included no provisions for a right of way across the monument. And, I have to be honest, there may be a reason for that. We’ve heard that one of the reasons why the President established the national monument had to do with the Canyon de Oro project, because so many people opposed it. I understand our solicitors have reviewed the language and all the lands records we’ve received from the Forest Service and BLM, and they’ve told us we don’t have the authority to grant a right of way across the monument for the purpose of allowing Mr. Enslow to develop Canyon de Oro. He already has access to his property. It may not be the road he wants, but it’s his access. If there’s not a public access reason for a road to be built in the new location, then we cannot construct or allow Mr. Enslow to construct a road to support that development.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Herrera said. “There has to be a better road into this project.”
“If you wanted to, you could find a way,” Latham said.
Jack drew in a deep breath. “If we tried to put in the road, we’d have to contend with endangered species issues. The Fuego Canyon tree frog is found along Deerfly Creek and in some of the other creeks in the area. It’s my understanding that Mr. Enslow will have to take the frog into account on his land as well.”
“No, it’s not on my land,” Enslow said quickly.
The comment was unexpected. Jack remembered someone, either in BLM or Fish and Wildlife Service, telling him that Enslow would need to consider the potential. Surely the creeks on his property were suitable habitat. “Are you sure?” Jack asked. "Have you ever had someone look into it?”
“Yes. They’re not there.”
Jack waited for more explanation. It was not going to come.
“And,” Helen Waite said loudly, “I will not stand by and let the Park Service close the road to Kip Culberson’s ranch. I will go straight to the new Administration and demand that someone get fired.”
“What?” Jack asked. “I don’t understand. The Park Service has no plans to close the road to Culberson Ranch.”
“We don’t believe you feds as far as we can throw you.” She tapped her fingers on a sheet of paper lying on the table.
“There never has been any talk of closing the road to Culberson Ranch. I’m sure Mr. Culberson has an old and valid right of way. We couldn’t close that road if we tried.”
“That’s not what this says.” She passed the paper to Jack.
It appeared to be something pulled from the internet. Jack looked up. Only then did he notice that everyone at the table had a copy. He quickly scanned. It did not pretend to be distributed by the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, or any other official source, but the wording was authoritative. He skipped to the second paragraph and read:
'The National Park Service is planning to close all roads in Piedras Coloradas National Monument, and to restrict all activities. The closures will include the roads to Culberson and Ramirez Ranches, and the new road planned for the Canyon de Oro Estates project. When the National Park Service implements these plans, the...'
Jack could not go on. He sat the page on the table. “This is not...”
Kip Culberson interrupted. “You people have forgotten who you work for,” he said. His eyes glared. “How do we go about reminding you people that you work for us? These public lands are not for you government types, they’re for the American public.”
“Mr. Culberson, I’m sure you’re worried, especially after seeing this, but it’s not based on fact. Someone’s mistaken. We have no plans to close the road to your ranch. We couldn’t. We know that. I don’t know who posted that information, but this is the first I’ve seen it. Whoever wrote it was either misinformed or trying