Earth Peoples Park
Encyclopedia
Earth Peoples Park was a 592 acres (2.4 km²) parcel of remote forested land located in the small French-Canadian border village of Norton, Essex County, Vermont (Pop. 200)
, with some donations for the down payment raised at the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Festival (August 1969 Bethel NY). The Vermont
parcel was purchased and managed as a non-profit trust (Earth Peoples Park Inc.), with the land deed officially recorded so as to convey the trusts' 'ownership' of the land (the only real asset of the trust), to 'all of the peoples of the earth'. The park property is now known as Black Turn Brook State Forest and is now owned by the state of Vermont. Due to land surveying errors going back to the settling of that region of the United States
and Canada
in the late 18th century, the 45th parallel of latitude (which was the boundary line set by treaty) actually passes through the acreage several hundred feet to the south of the present-day international boundary vista line, somewhere in the vicinity of the large hay field. For many years, Norton also had an international store, run by the Nelson family, which was located both in the US and in Canada, with a line painted down the middle of the store. One was permitted to shop both sides of the store, as long as you exited back into the country you entered from.
Unlike the original People's Park in Berkeley, which is owned by the University of California, the underlying principle was that the Vermont trust land would be legally open to anyone who wished to visit, camp, or homestead upon it, rent free for as long as one desired. The land purchase originally included a separate 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) parcel nearer town upon which a A-frame was erected as a sort of welcoming center, access at that time was via a shared gravel driveway and through farm fields to the actual land holdings. Locally it became known as 'the last left turn(s) in America', requiring a series of unmarked left turns starting less than 20 feet (6.1 m) south of the US Customs station. Many uninformed visitors often missed the left turns, and suddenly found themselves entering Canada by mistake. In 1974, the shared access was traded for construction of a new, private road leading directly west from State Route 114. The land swap negotiated between the trust and neighboring farmers included construction of a concrete bridge crossing the Coaticook River at the southern edge of the land near Number Six Brook, that access is now known locally as 'Black Turn Brook Rd'.
Despite the harsh environment, many people thrived both in the isolation, and in their new found ability to 'disconnect' from the noise and distractions of mainstream society, with a number of winter-able structures added as more people moved in over time. In the period of 1973–75, there were perhaps 25 year-round residents living in dispersed cabins, A-frames, canvas teepees, old school buses, geodesic domes, a 1950s vintage travel trailer, as well as an impressive 8-sided log cabin constructed by one family over the course of several years. Additional living and auxiliary structures were constructed throughout the 1980s.
Warmer months saw increased visitors, such as traditional summer solstice and fall equinox gatherings, or other word-of-mouth events. The remote location with thickly forested lands included several secluded beaver ponds, along with access to the Coaticook River, providing an idealistic, counter-culture gathering mecca during the short summer months. Benefit concerts and gatherings took place at the property in an effort to help raise the property taxes and mortgage payments.
.
Years of intensified government intelligence gathering and a series of arrests by state and federal law enforcement led to the seizure of the land in October 1990. A pair of park residents sold ten ounces of park-grown marijuana to an undercover narcotics agent for $500, introduced by a park resident turned paid informant.
This event gave the federal government probable cause to seize the land, evict everyone still living there, and to destroy any structures on the property. After drug forfeiture proceedings filed in US District Court (Burlington Vt. 1990) pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 881(a)(7), the 592 acres (2.4 km²) was eventually conveyed to the State of Vermont for use as publicly-owned state forest lands.
Originally destined for sale by the federal government, substantial unique natural resources were discovered allowing the land to escape sale under a provision in the forfeiture laws. After negotiations with the US Attorney's office state officials, including the office of then governor Howard Dean
, the Vermont Land Trust
, and other agencies, an agreement was signed to give the land to the state of Vermont. This respected the park founder's original intention of 'public' ownership of the land.
2) 'State v. Ogden' 92-386; 161 Vt. 336; 640 A.2d 6 (Vt. Supreme Court 92-386 1993) Appeal from Essex County District Court conviction for drug sales in Sept, 1990. Mr. Ogden was one of the defendants related to the October 1990 land forfeiture.
Peoples Park in Berkeley California
Purchase of the Norton parcel was inspired by the original Peoples Park located in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, with some donations for the down payment raised at the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Festival (August 1969 Bethel NY). The Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
parcel was purchased and managed as a non-profit trust (Earth Peoples Park Inc.), with the land deed officially recorded so as to convey the trusts' 'ownership' of the land (the only real asset of the trust), to 'all of the peoples of the earth'. The park property is now known as Black Turn Brook State Forest and is now owned by the state of Vermont. Due to land surveying errors going back to the settling of that region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the late 18th century, the 45th parallel of latitude (which was the boundary line set by treaty) actually passes through the acreage several hundred feet to the south of the present-day international boundary vista line, somewhere in the vicinity of the large hay field. For many years, Norton also had an international store, run by the Nelson family, which was located both in the US and in Canada, with a line painted down the middle of the store. One was permitted to shop both sides of the store, as long as you exited back into the country you entered from.
History
In early 1970, the partially logged area, its northern property line running along the international boundary vista with Canada, as well as prime Coaticook river frontage on the east, was purchased sight-unseen from a 'Strout Realty' mail-order land catalog for $38,000. Criteria included finding as large a property as cheaply as possible, with the remoteness considered a plus (fewer neighbors to bother). It was an unlikely, snow-bound, out of the way location, with little else drawing most folks to that sparsely populated corner of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the population of all of Essex County less than 5000 residents at that time.Unlike the original People's Park in Berkeley, which is owned by the University of California, the underlying principle was that the Vermont trust land would be legally open to anyone who wished to visit, camp, or homestead upon it, rent free for as long as one desired. The land purchase originally included a separate 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) parcel nearer town upon which a A-frame was erected as a sort of welcoming center, access at that time was via a shared gravel driveway and through farm fields to the actual land holdings. Locally it became known as 'the last left turn(s) in America', requiring a series of unmarked left turns starting less than 20 feet (6.1 m) south of the US Customs station. Many uninformed visitors often missed the left turns, and suddenly found themselves entering Canada by mistake. In 1974, the shared access was traded for construction of a new, private road leading directly west from State Route 114. The land swap negotiated between the trust and neighboring farmers included construction of a concrete bridge crossing the Coaticook River at the southern edge of the land near Number Six Brook, that access is now known locally as 'Black Turn Brook Rd'.
Living conditions
Living conditions were primitive, particularly in the early years when few structures existed suitable for surviving the harsh winter environment. Winters are often downright brutal in Essex County; it is normal to see snowfall accumulations of 6 or more inches per day, with minus 40 degree(F) nights not at all uncommon. No utilities such as power, water or telephone ran to the land, heating and cooking was by wood, kerosene or bottled propane, lighting by candles or kerosene lantern. Drinking and bathing water was drawn from Black Turn Brook, or directly from the Coaticook river. Winter access was challenging, once off the plowed state highway, the unmaintained dirt roads were frequently blocked by heavy, drifting snowfall accumulations, adding a half-mile hike in from the highway, with snowshoes, toboggans and cross-country skis much desired items.Despite the harsh environment, many people thrived both in the isolation, and in their new found ability to 'disconnect' from the noise and distractions of mainstream society, with a number of winter-able structures added as more people moved in over time. In the period of 1973–75, there were perhaps 25 year-round residents living in dispersed cabins, A-frames, canvas teepees, old school buses, geodesic domes, a 1950s vintage travel trailer, as well as an impressive 8-sided log cabin constructed by one family over the course of several years. Additional living and auxiliary structures were constructed throughout the 1980s.
Warmer months saw increased visitors, such as traditional summer solstice and fall equinox gatherings, or other word-of-mouth events. The remote location with thickly forested lands included several secluded beaver ponds, along with access to the Coaticook River, providing an idealistic, counter-culture gathering mecca during the short summer months. Benefit concerts and gatherings took place at the property in an effort to help raise the property taxes and mortgage payments.
Legal issues leading to seizure of land by federal government
As with much of society throughout the 1980s, demographics of park residents changed as well, with many of the earlier (i.e.: the older or long established first-generation) 'elders' began moving away due to advancing age, declining health or personal reasons. Some new residents were gang members, drug manufacturers, armed bikers, and created issues around hard drug use, and other problematic situations never envisioned by the land trust created in vision of a 'free land with no rules' hippy utopiaUtopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
.
Years of intensified government intelligence gathering and a series of arrests by state and federal law enforcement led to the seizure of the land in October 1990. A pair of park residents sold ten ounces of park-grown marijuana to an undercover narcotics agent for $500, introduced by a park resident turned paid informant.
This event gave the federal government probable cause to seize the land, evict everyone still living there, and to destroy any structures on the property. After drug forfeiture proceedings filed in US District Court (Burlington Vt. 1990) pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 881(a)(7), the 592 acres (2.4 km²) was eventually conveyed to the State of Vermont for use as publicly-owned state forest lands.
Originally destined for sale by the federal government, substantial unique natural resources were discovered allowing the land to escape sale under a provision in the forfeiture laws. After negotiations with the US Attorney's office state officials, including the office of then governor Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, the Vermont Land Trust
Vermont Land Trust
The Vermont Land Trust is a non-profit environmental organization in the U.S. state of Vermont, working to conserve productive, recreational, and scenic lands which give the state and its communities their rural character.-Mission statement:...
, and other agencies, an agreement was signed to give the land to the state of Vermont. This respected the park founder's original intention of 'public' ownership of the land.
Land turned over to State of Vermont, now Black Turn Brook State Forest
On October 5, 1994, in a ceremony attended by Governor of Vermont Howard Dean, along with Wavy Gravy, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's, along with representatives of other groups, including early park resident Laura Kross on behalf of Earth Peoples Park Inc., title to the property was formally transferred. Today, the former park remains open to recreational visitors for hunting, fishing, and undeveloped hike-in type camping activities. It is now shown on area maps as Black Turn Brook State Forest, and is managed by the Vermont Dept. of Forests and Parks. Camping and other recreational activities are permitted under that Vermont's 'primitive use camping' rules, although vehicle access from the state highway is limited.Earth Peoples Park land in Del Norte County California
During the mid-1970s, the non-profit trust Earth Peoples Park Inc. also purchased a remote 83 acres (335,889.4 m²) parcel of forest lands situated in Del Norte County, California. Located on Chrystal Mountain within Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, that 83 acres (335,889.4 m²) piece of property remains open to visitors.Legal references of interest
1) 'United States v. Earth People's Park', Consisting of 592 Acres, More or Less, Located in Norton, Vermont, with all Appurtenances and Attachments Thereon, Civil No. 90-273 (USDC D. Vt. 1990) Federal drug forfeiture action filed October 1990 pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 881(a)(7).2) 'State v. Ogden' 92-386; 161 Vt. 336; 640 A.2d 6 (Vt. Supreme Court 92-386 1993) Appeal from Essex County District Court conviction for drug sales in Sept, 1990. Mr. Ogden was one of the defendants related to the October 1990 land forfeiture.