amacbean wrote:Flew into Caveman Ranch in Utah (formerly Tangri-La) by Moab last night. It was pretty sweet. I'll post a more in depth report and more pictures when I have time tomorrow.

amacbean got me looking at this place.

Because of the land’s natural beauty, Morris Udall, Secretary of the Interior under Richard Nixon, came to Anderson Bottom with his brother Stewart (later a senator from Arizona). In 1970 they spent three days with the Tangren brothers while surveying the area by helicopter. After their visit the government decided to incorporate the ranch into the Canyonlands National Park. The U.S. Park Service came in and condemned the land. They threw the Tangrens off their hard-won property and destroyed everything they had built over the previous decade. They dug holes and buried the equipment, vehicles and anything else that couldn’t be burnt or hauled away. In the end the Tangrens received absolutely no compensation whatsoever for their land, equipment or hospitality!

Rest of the article. http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueFM00 ... aFM00.html

Cheers

I've seen that article floating around more than once, and it stinks as much now as it did in 2000. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. It irritates me because there is enough real and factual controversy, disagreement and issues surrounding the creation of park areas without having to embellish things. I call BS on the "no compensation" claim.

Having lived in the area for five years earlier this decade I have a little knowledge and interest of the history of the area in the post-WW2 period.

First of all, Mo Udall was never Sec. of the Interior, Stewart Udall was. Mo Udall was a Congressman. Stewart Udall was SecInt from '61 to '69. He visited the Canyonlands first in 1960 while looking into the Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge issue downstream, meeting with legendary Floyd Dominy, head of the Bureau of Reclamation. On the way to Denver afterwards in Dominy's plane he flew over the area and was intrigued. Later he visited the area again with Utah and Congress officials and toured the area by helicopter. In July of 1961. There is no record of him ever having met the Tangrens (though it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility.) The trip in 1970 is flat out wrong. Nixon never had anything to do with it. By his term the park had already been created (1964) and Udall was no longer SecInt. Makes you wonder about the rest of Swint's assertions in the article. Maybe he should stick with aviation subjects or his religious writings.

Being curious, I emailed a friend who works in cultural resources preservation and history in that region of the NPS. Most parks have an administrative history that you can tap into, unfortunately the one for Canyonlands doesn't appear to be online. If anyone cares I'd be happy to forward what I found out about the Tangren's compensation for their previous holdings.

What is certain is that Tangri-la is a cool place to visit, and that Bud Tangren has been, and presumably still is an interesting character.

I hear you, O&F- too rainy here today to drill holes in the sky, so might as well drill holes in internet fiction to stay in shape!

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:I've seen that article floating around more than once, and it stinks as much now as it did in 2000. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. It irritates me because there is enough real and factual controversy, disagreement and issues surrounding the creation of park areas without having to embellish things. I call BS on the "no compensation" claim.

Having lived in the area for five years earlier this decade I have a little knowledge and interest of the history of the area in the post-WW2 period.

First of all, Mo Udall was never Sec. of the Interior, Stewart Udall was. Mo Udall was a Congressman. Stewart Udall was SecInt from '61 to '69. He visited the Canyonlands first in 1960 while looking into the Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge issue downstream, meeting with legendary Floyd Dominy, head of the Bureau of Reclamation. On the way to Denver afterwards in Dominy's plane he flew over the area and was intrigued. Later he visited the area again with Utah and Congress officials and toured the area by helicopter. In July of 1961. There is no record of him ever having met the Tangrens (though it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility.) The trip in 1970 is flat out wrong. Nixon never had anything to do with it. By his term the park had already been created (1964) and Udall was no longer SecInt. Makes you wonder about the rest of Swint's assertions in the article. Maybe he should stick with aviation subjects or his religious writings.

Being curious, I emailed a friend who works in cultural resources preservation and history in that region of the NPS. Most parks have an administrative history that you can tap into, unfortunately the one for Canyonlands doesn't appear to be online. If anyone cares I'd be happy to forward what I found out about the Tangren's compensation for their previous holdings.

What is certain is that Tangri-la is a cool place to visit, and that Bud Tangren has been, and presumably still is an interesting character.

Thanks for checking the facts I didn't. I'm looking forward to going to Caveman Ranch.

Cheers

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:I've seen that article floating around more than once, and it stinks as much now as it did in 2000. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. It irritates me because there is enough real and factual controversy, disagreement and issues surrounding the creation of park areas without having to embellish things. I call BS on the "no compensation" claim.

Having lived in the area for five years earlier this decade I have a little knowledge and interest of the history of the area in the post-WW2 period.

First of all, Mo Udall was never Sec. of the Interior, Stewart Udall was. Mo Udall was a Congressman. Stewart Udall was SecInt from '61 to '69. He visited the Canyonlands first in 1960 while looking into the Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge issue downstream, meeting with legendary Floyd Dominy, head of the Bureau of Reclamation. On the way to Denver afterwards in Dominy's plane he flew over the area and was intrigued. Later he visited the area again with Utah and Congress officials and toured the area by helicopter. In July of 1961. There is no record of him ever having met the Tangrens (though it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility.) The trip in 1970 is flat out wrong. Nixon never had anything to do with it. By his term the park had already been created (1964) and Udall was no longer SecInt. Makes you wonder about the rest of Swint's assertions in the article. Maybe he should stick with aviation subjects or his religious writings.

Being curious, I emailed a friend who works in cultural resources preservation and history in that region of the NPS. Most parks have an administrative history that you can tap into, unfortunately the one for Canyonlands doesn't appear to be online. If anyone cares I'd be happy to forward what I found out about the Tangren's compensation for their previous holdings.

What is certain is that Tangri-la is a cool place to visit, and that Bud Tangren has been, and presumably still is an interesting character.

Thanks for checking the facts I didn't. I'm looking forward to going to Caveman Ranch.

Cheers

No problem Rob. I wasn't ranting at you I would be proud to fly into the place and check it out and meet Mr. Tangren. I'm sure he has bones to pick with all levels of government.

As it is now I have only seen the place from the water's edge. Was a very interesting sight from that perspective.

I remember when this story came out in the magazine in 2000. I was very intrigued by the place then and decided to ride my motorcycle over to his ranch to see it firsthand. I stopped to talk with the owner of "Poplar Place", a pizza joint in Moab. He covered that area daily on his motorcycle and he told me not to bother Bud Tangren. Seems light plane visitors had been falling out of the sky at his Tangri-la ranch since the magazine story was published and he (Bud) wasn't happy to see it. The way this guy talked, Bud never wanted any visitors in those days and he was upset that his strip was prematurely publicized.

I know people have been in there but is just anyone welcome to drop in???? Did you have to have permission Alan???

Bud's son Rod is running the show there now. Last I was there, they were in the process of remodelling. I think any are welcome with priar approval. You can make contact with Rod here [email protected]

Gary

shortfielder wrote:Bud's son Rod is running the show there now. Last I was there, they were in the process of remodelling. I think any are welcome with priar approval. You can make contact with Rod here [email protected]

Gary

Thank you Gary

Rob