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 to misrepresent the situation.”
“That’s not good enough. We can’t trust you,” he said. The anger kept reaching new highs. “You people are up to something. All this road business is tied together in some way. You may think you can run us out of here, but you can’t.”
Jack wanted to speak but he knew he would be repeating himself. Nothing was going to convince Culberson. Here was a man who believed the National Park Service was out to get him, and this was not a man they wanted to have angry. There was little Jack could do.
The discussion continued, in the form of shots fired at the Park Service and the Federal government, and with Jack trying to clarify and correct.
They did not buy any of it.
— • —
Jack ended his report. “I’m sorry Joe, but it caught me by surprise. You sent the wrong person. You or someone else should have gone to that meeting yesterday, not me.”
“I’m sure you did as well as possible, under the circumstances,” Morgan said. “That was not the stated purpose of the meeting as they described it to me. Something changed, and what concerns me most is that website saying we want to close Culberson’s road.”
“Do we?”
“Hell, no. I have no idea where that came from. I’ll have Marge find the website. Culberson is an influential man. We don’t need him being misinformed. Draft a letter for my signature saying we have no intention of closing that road.”
“I need to get to the plateau. I have the fire staff waiting for me.”
“Do it before you leave. And get someone trained up there to do what you’re doing. I’ll need you here in the office next week.”
“Joe, I’ve only got a few more days worth of work up there.”
“I’m going to need you here.”
— • —
“I don’t get it,” Johnny said. “What should I be seeing?”
“Sh-h-h. Just watch,” Jack said.
Thirty feed away, a Gray vireo flit along a branch, picking at needles
