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Chaco Canyon in the news

The booming West
Grave Goods: How to reconcile archaeology with suburban growth

(May 08, 2008 - The Economist)

KANAB, UTAH - DOUG MCFADDEN, an archaeologist, walks through the site of a future suburb picking up shards of pottery more than a thousand years old. The 280-acre field in south-west Utah is littered with Indian artefacts. Last year a trench was dug through part of the site that was not expected to contain many remains. It revealed a grave, pit houses and part of a building.

Southern Utah is one of the archaeologically richest parts of America. The Anasazi Indians who lived there until the 14th century left pottery, the remains of houses and thousands of mysterious images painted on or chipped into rock, much of it fortunately preserved by the region's parched climate. Less fortunately, the Anasazi tended to settle in areas that have plenty of water—just the sort of spots where developers like to build pseudo-Tuscan villas.

And they do, here more than almost anywhere else. The population of St George, the biggest town in south-west Utah, swelled from 90,000 to 126,000 between 2000 and 2006—a growth rate of 16 people a day. Kanab, 90 minutes' drive to the east, seems poised for a similar explosion. It lies near spectacular Zion Canyon, luring retired folk who know the area from their holidays. And the high birth rate in a heavily Mormon area means houses are always in demand, even now.

Under Utah law developers are under no obligation to preserve, or even reveal the existence of, archaeological remains. Work is supposed to stop if human remains are discovered, but only for a few days. Even this modest law may be widely flouted. Kevin Jones, the state archaeologist, says many developers believe the discovery of bones will lead to the state or an Indian tribe seizing private land. Fearing that, some will probably order the bulldozers quietly to bury what they unearth.

Yet this is beginning to change. Milo McCowan, who owns the 280-acre plot near Kanab, plans to preserve virtually all the archaeological remains he finds. Houses will skirt the richest sites, where digs will continue for decades. Aside from the inherent interest of the remains, this is a handy way of making the development different from thousands of similar ones in the West. In a fast-growing area where many buyers lack roots, a bit of local history may help sales.

Others are coming to the same conclusion. Bloomington, a suburb of St George, has built a cul-de-sac around a huge boulder marked with petroglyphs—a model that will soon be followed by a developer near Salt Lake City. A site near Cortez, in Colorado, which is dotted with more than 200 Indian ruins, is being marketed as “America's first archaeological development”: buyers can do their own excavations, but must bequeath what they find to a local museum. Perhaps the most extraordinary example is Mountain's Edge, a half-built suburb near Las Vegas, where an ersatz archaeological dig has been incorporated into a park. Clearly, if a site lacks history there is a need to invent it.

Troy Scotter, who researches rock art in Utah, has some reservations about the vogue for archaeology-themed suburbs. It would be best, he says, if Anasazi sites were left alone. Yet he reckons it is almost impossible to keep them secret and safe from vandals in an era of digital cameras, global-positioning systems and the internet. The best chance of preserving America's archaeological heritage may be to surround it with houses.

Developer seeks to preserve ancient ruins
Artifacts will be integrated with planned housing, recreational development

(March 01, 2007 - Salt Lake Tribune)

KANAB - The ancient Anasazi carved out an existence in the hills outside Kanab. They dug pits, hunted elk and grew maize. Now, St. George developer Milo McCowan wants to carve out a subdivision on those same slopes. He wants to build homes, sculpt trails and erect an amphitheater. Oh, and he wants to save - and even capitalize on - many of those American Indian ruins. "We are dedicating 20 acres in the project for long-term archaeological excavation and study, hopefully in partnership with a university," McCowan said. "Amateur archaeologists could move here and live and assist with a significant dig in their own neighborhood." At his subdivision - named Chaco Canyon after the famous Anasazi ruins in New Mexico - McCowan plans to build 700 to 800 houses and town homes on 270 acres west of Kanab Creek, which are in the process of being annexed into Kanab.

The homes will be clustered to make way for open spaces and trails. McCowan also hopes to add an amphitheater for the performing arts and a museum for showcasing the area's artifacts. The entrance road will wind between two ruin sites. Doug McFadden, former head archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management's nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, said the ruins - at 14 sites - offer excellent examples of how the Virgin Anasazi lived from the year 1 to the 1200s, when they abruptly vanished.

McFadden, whose private consulting firm conducted an archaeological survey of the area for McCowan last spring, said the ancient dwellings - layered and built in blocks of rooms - were used for residential and storage space. They extend down about 15 feet. "They show us the different periods of occupation from the early [Anasazi] to the late period," McFadden said. "It's a neat situation to have that continuity of occupation. It allows us to study how things changed for them over time." McFadden saluted McCowan for stepping up to preserve the sites.

"It's an extremely rare situation for a [private] developer to go out of his way to protect a site," McFadden said. "He is not required by state or federal law to do an [archaeological] inventory."

The Division of State History also is pleased with McCowan's efforts. A letter from state historic preservation officer Wilson Martin praises McCowan for integrating the archaeological heritage of the property into his development. "We enthusiastically commend you for considering the rich cultural heritage, and in particular the valuable prehistoric resources of the Kanab region during the development of your project," Martin wrote. The letter offers McCowan assistance in obtaining grants and tax incentives for the development.

Chaco Canyon isn't the only southern Utah project where McCowan has tied into existing resources. Earlier this month he opened a private dog park in another of his Kanab developments in cooperation with Best Friends Animal Society. The society, headquartered in nearby Angel Canyon, is the world's largest no-kill animal sanctuary, and many volunteers and workers live in McGowan's La Estancia development, where the one-acre park is located. That fenced park offers all pooches great and small a tunnel, rocky hills and paths - which surround a grass island and a water feature. It even boasts a fire hydrant. "Dog parks are not common, especially private ones, in small towns," McCowan said. Best Friends worker Faith Mahoney, who dedicated the park, called it a great addition. "It's a pleasant, safe environment for people and their dogs," Mahoney said. "The emphasis is not a park that allows dogs, but a park primarily for dogs." Peter King, who is moving to La Estancia from San Diego, pointed to the park as a reason for his decision "It was an added plus," he said. "It's just great."

Ed Meyer, a Kanab resident and former director of the Utah Office of Rural Development, lauded McCowan for using Best Friends and the Anasazi ruins to enhance his developments. "They certainly make his projects marketable," Meyer said. "If you want to sell [houses] to pet lovers, having an animal park makes it more attractive." Still, he has two warnings for the developer: Make sure the themed developments jibe with master plans and that the museum and amphitheater are well managed. "They can really be a pain," Meyer said.

McCowan noted the La Estancia Homeowners Association will run the dog park and vowed to support and maintain the museum and amphitheater. "Hopefully we will have partnerships to help take care of them, time will tell," he said. " In the meantime, we're not waiting for partners. If we don't get assistance, we'll do it ourselves."

And pieces of the past will live on at Chaco Canyon - neighbors to the present and the future.

mhavnes@sltrib.com