On 28 Feb. 1995, Peter Welsh posted a piece of legislation regarding part of
Mt. Shasta being undesignated as a registered National Historic Place.
 
The Redding Record Searchlight <[log in to unmask]> is one source to access for
information on the Mt. Shasta story.  Also, Alice Hoveman, the history
curator at Redding Museum of Art & History <[log in to unmask]> may
be the best source to contact for information on Mt. Shasta and local Native
American community. The Shasta Historical Society is also located at RMAH.
 
Briefly, here's the unofficial scoop from my recollections of the controversy:
 
Because of its religious significance, a regional group of Native American
tribes petitioned to have Mt. Shasta designated as a protected national
treasure. In response, the Registrar of National Historic Places put the
whole mountain under the protection of the National Historic Preservation Act.
 
Owners of property and businesses on the mountain or at its base, which
included the town of Mt. Shasta, found fault with both the tribes' and the
Registrar's actions. Property owners and business people believed their
right to due process was being denied. It was felt that the sudden
devaluation of their property amounted to an illegal taking and that the
entire action was arbitrary and capricious.  The petition from the Native
American community was a surprise to many in the region.
 
When everyone gathered around the negotiating table to discuss the issue, it
was determined that the portion of Mt. Shasta that was significant to Native
Americans was generally above the tree-line, and most particularly the
glacial part of the snow cap.
 
After tempers cooled and dialog took place, it was agreed that something
like the top half of the mountain, from approximately the tree-line to the
summit, could and should be designated as a National Historic Place.
 
I believe, with the help of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, the matter was
satisfactorily resolved.
 
Hence the correcting legislation offered by Representative Herger.
 
 
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Rich Jones                              Governing Board For:
Development Director                    Carter House Natural Science Museum
Shasta Natural Science Association      Redding Arboretum By The River
[log in to unmask]              SNSA Environmental Resources Center