PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Landscape Changes

During Herr's administration, a large number of additional trees were planted and monument grounds were landscaped, mostly as a result of the Park Service's decision to retain the residential and utility area within the monument. While most of the new trees were planted to screen those areas, some were planted to screen the Tribe's newest housing development, located east of the monument on a hill visible from the fort. Referring to himself jokingly as "Johnny Appleseed," Herr reported in 1981 that his pet projects were planting trees and putting in irrigation lines. [2357] Herr claimed during a 1996 interview to have planted "...somewhat over 200 trees, and installed water irrigation to every one of them." [2358] According to his annual reports, between 1980 and 1983, Herr directed the planting of 223 shade trees (to shade and screen the residential and utility areas), 24 fruit trees, and 70 evergreen bushes (to "insulate" around the foundations of the residences), a total of 317 trees and bushes. It appears that another 20 fruit trees for Pipe Spring were included in a larger order made by Capitol Reef National Monument in early 1985. (Expected delivery date was early 1986.) Fruit trees were planted primarily to replace diseased, dead, or missing trees in the orchard. [2359] Herr recalled planting cottonless cottonwoods and Carolina and Lombardy poplars as shade trees. "There is not one inch of the place that hasn't been plowed, dug, shoveled, flooded," said Herr in the 1996 interview. [2360] Describing himself half-jokingly as a "frustrated landscape architect," Herr reported that he "built an island paradise" at Pipe Spring. [2361] It was during his tenure that the ditch system of irrigation was changed to underground pipe. During the early 1980s (particularly 1981, 1982, and 1985), irrigation pipe was laid to new trees for individual watering via bubblers to reduce water consumption. Herr remarked, "We used a lot of water after we put those irrigation pipes in." [2362] Archeologist Ann Johnson surveyed areas to be heavily planted and provided Section 106 clearance during this period.

In the spring of 1983, Herr sought regional office approval to plant five-gallon Lombardy poplars west of the fort, amidst the aging elms. "We envision that as the poplars grow over the next few years that we will trim back the elms. No wholesale removal [of the elms] is contemplated or desired," he explained to Regional Historical Architect Rodd Wheaton. [2363] This plan was never carried out, and a few old elms still survive west of the fort. Abruptly, tree planting ceased after 1983, either because of Park Service concern over the declining spring flow at the monument or because the monument's plans called for no more trees.

144. Mature Lombardy poplars screening residence no. 9, planted under Bill Herr's direction in the early 1980s
(Photograph by author, taken April 1996, Pipe Spring National Monument).

Fruit trees cultivated at Pipe Spring in 1985 included apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, plums, and cherries. Garden crops included beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, peppers, and grapes. One concord grape plant was reported to be "original to the time period interpreted" and was maintained on an individual arbor. [2364] Oddly, by the 1980s, management documents make no mention of former Area Manager Ray Geerdes' native grass restoration project, initiated in 1968. [2365]

In 1985 monument staff borrowed a dump truck from Zion and hauled nine loads of manure and treated sludge from Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim to rebuild the soil in the monument's gardens and orchards. They learned at this time that Grand Canyon had a surplus front-end loader, which Pipe Spring was able to acquire from them for use at the monument. The following year, the monument's 10 modern redwood benches were replaced with what Herr described as "old-fashioned style park benches." In 1985 the monument purchased a new Bollens garden tractor to speed plowing in the gardens. The monument received another three truckloads of manure for the gardens from the Zion Trail Rides corral in October 1986, delivered by a Zion maintenance crew. The monument purchased a new John Deere tractor in 1987, along with a variety of attachments, for grounds-keeping work.

A copy of the 1988 Operation Evaluation Report for the monument includes both landscape evaluation comments and monument responses to those comments. The evaluators observed, "Historic landscape no longer exists. Area is impacted with invader grasses, suckers on new starts from several tree species, and weeds. Area look generally unkept. No domestic livestock in historic area (except for chickens, geese, and ducks)." [2366] The park responded that there were two horses on site at the time and argued that grounds were "natural," not "unkept." The same evaluators recommended that monument staff,

Work to eliminate all unwanted new growth plants. Research to determine historic landscape. Determine through CRMP [Cultural Resource Management Plan] just what the NPS should present to the public. Work toward that goal. General cleanup and removal of unwanted plant materials.... Restoration of historic landscape when Cultural Resources Management Plan is approved. [2367]

The park responded that a very active program of removing unwanted vegetation had been underway for two years and that revegetation went hand-in-hand with removal of unwanted plants. The park asked, "What historical landscape do we want? Bare ground, belly-high-to-a-horse grass, or something in between? One is not desirable, the other impossible to bring back." With regard to resources management, the evaluators urged the park to make every effort "to maintain the area as close as possible to the setting of the historic period being preserved." [2368]