2011 Issue

15 world who stop to experience the unique ability to be in four states at once. The Four Corners Heritage Council (FCHC) was formed in 1991 by the governors of the Four-Corner states to manage and promote the cultural resources in the Four Corners area. Its mission is to promote partnerships in heritage, resources, tourism, education, interpretation and preservation. The council comprises represen- tatives of each state, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS) and the Navajo Nation. Care and management of the Four Corners area have since been shared by cooperative effort of the tribal nations and government agencies. Through persis- tence and deter- mination over a 19-year pursuit, the FCHC was able to achieve the cooperative agreement of the four state legisla- tures, BLM, USFS, U.S. Congress, and both tribal nations to com- mit over $2.3 mil- lion for upgrading the Four Corners Monument and surrounding area. The improvements include a complete recon- struction of the monument, access, new vendor booths, and an interpretive center complete with electricity, running water and flush toilets. From May through September of 2010 thousands of dismayed and disappointed visitors were met by a locked gate announcing the Four Corners Monument CLOSED due to construction. The reconstruction project presented a unique opportunity to retell the story of the surveys and surveyors and their role that determined the position of the Four Corners Monument. As inter- est in the Four Corners history hastened, a report broke loose on April 20th, 2009, by a Salt Lake City newsperson. A local historian and a geologist informed the reporter that a survey performed by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) involving GPS observations made in 2008 had disclosed a mistake in the placement of the monument, missing the intended position of 37 degrees latitude and 109 degrees longitude where the corner of Utah was sup- posed to be. The misinformation was confirmed by a member of the Utah Association of Geocachers by using hand-held GPS units and two internet sites, Google Earth and the Great Circle Calculator. Rumors quickly spread across the Associated Press (AP) wire that the Four Corners Monument was 2.5 miles off of its intended position, and that visitors to the monument might not actually be standing in the right spot. Dave Doyle, chief geodetic surveyor of the NGS, responded to the misinformation being disseminated in an attempt to explain that the 109th meridian was never intended to be the boundary and that the monument was really located 1,807.14 feet in the opposite direction as was reported. Randy Zanon, chief cadastral surveyor for Colorado’s BLM, quickly reassured the press that the Four Corners Monument that everybody goes and visits is exactly where it should be. While newspapers in Colorado retracted the original story, this information only confirmed, in the Salt Lake reporter’s mind, that the Four Corners Monument is indeed off the mark. On May 15th, 2009, Bill Stone, NGS New Mexico Geodetic Advisor, prepared a full report explaining why the Four Corners Monument is in exactly the right place and rebutting the errant reports that NGS had somehow claimed the monument in error. The serendipitous reporting had created an opportunity to tell the story of surveying the Four Corners to the world. A few surveyors recognized the opportunity – an opportunity that wouldn’t be allowed to slip away. Warren Ward, NSPS Governor from Colorado, on February 28, 2010, presented what seemed like a simple idea to pursue some sort of official informative display to give the tourists an op- portunity to learn basic facts about the original survey and the Supreme Court ruling. John Matonich, NSPS President, offered NSPS commitment to help. Warren wondered if some information could be presented for the public that would help communicate the facts about surveying and the legal location of monuments, on behalf of NSPS, at the site. Warren viewed the reconstruction project as a unique opportunity to quell the misrepresentation that the surveyors goofed. By mid-March, contact was made with the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department planning team and the plan was set in full motion. With the support of the NSPS Board of Directors, funding came from the NSPS Foundation, adjoining state survey- ing associations, and a variety of individual sources. A plan was devised to retain local Colorado artist, Christian Muller, to design and construct four stone monuments, one representing each of the four states, which would recite the true story of the creation and establishment of the Four Corners. Warren spearheaded de- velopment of the wording for the stones, compiling suggestions from a number of surveyors, while Jason Emery, Boulder County Surveyor, donated his time as a professional artist to provide surveyor sketches to be etched onto the stones. On Friday, Sep- tember 17, 2010, a dedication cer- emony was held t o r e c o g n i z e completion of the $1M first phase of construction which included the monument plaza and one third of the ven- dor booths. The remaining con- struction is slated for completion by February 2011. The NSPS com- memorative stone monuments were placed during the final week prior to the dedication ceremony. Mem- Figure 6: Four Courners Monument “Closed” Figure 7: Flag Raising over the new plaza