SALT LAKE CITY The remote Utah canyon that long concealed a string of ancient Indian settlements holds another surprise: The rancher who sold the land kept the mineral rights and says he may use them.
Waldo Wilcox, who for nearly 50 years kept the ancient Fremont Indian sites remarkably well preserved, tells a KUED documentary he kept the mineral rights because Utah wouldn't pay what he thought his 4,200-acre ranch was worth.
Wilcox wanted $4 million but got $2.5 million for the ranch in remote Range Creek Canyon, which was called one of the most important discoveries of 2004 by the magazine ``Scentific American.''
Wilcox, 75, said that before he opens the canyon to any oil-and-gas development, he would offer the mineral rights to the state _ for a price. But during an hourlong documentary, Wilcox recalled bitterly his negotiations with the state.
This was a big story from the past year. Can't tell what this would really entail as far as the archaeological sites were concerned. It seems as if he's already sold the land to the state, so it's unclear what sort of rules would govern any kind of development in the area. Obviously, unrestricted mining, etc., would be terrible for the remains. So would unlimited public access. OTOH, some mineral development might bring in money for actual archaeological work to take place. We'll keep following this.