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NEWS
RELEASE
February 22, 2002
Famous
Communication Center Protected within the Point Reyes
National Seashore
Private Citizen Land Trust Applauds
AT&T and Senator Barbara Boxer
WASHINGTON,
DC
— The National Park Trust applauded American Telegraph & Telephone
(AT&T) for their willingness to sell
their communications center, located
within the Point Reyes National
Seashore, to the National Park Service.
"This land was critical to the park
unit,” said Paul C. Pritchard,
President of the National Park Trust.
"It is physically at the heart of
the park and played an important role in
America's history. Both of these factors
meant that it was one of the most
critical properties in the acquisition
program of this park."
NPT learned that the property was
obsolete, but was still owned by
AT&T. Working with the National Park
Service and California Senator Barbara
Boxer, NPT was able to open the door of
communication with AT&T that lead to
the eventual sale.
"Senator
Boxer has always been a champion of the
parks. She played a critical role in
moving the transfer along," said
Pritchard.
The
site is approximately 522 prime acres
between the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
and the Pacific Ocean covered by a
series of wire devices, antenna, and a
communications building. The National
Park Service is in the process of taking
down the antennas to prevent birds from
flying into the support wires. The
entire area is being photographed and
documented for historical records.
An
interpretive exhibit features AT&T's
high seas radiotelephone station, which
provides two-way communication between
ships on the high seas or aircraft and
telephones on land, sea or in the air.
Point Reyes was considered the best
receiving station of the West Coast. It
was at this location that the word was
first received on mainland USA that
Pearl Harbor was under attack. Other
important information was also processed
at this center.
The National Park Trust is the only
private land conservancy uniquely
dedicated to preserving America's
national system of parks, wildlife
refuges, and historic monuments.
For more information contact:
National Park Trust (NPT)
(202) 548-0500
npt@parktrust.org
http://www.parktrust.org
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