In 1978, when Mineral King was included into Sequoia National Park, didn the cabin owners agree to future termination of their cabin leases?
There never was an agreement to that effect. Many cabin owners backed park acquisition of the Mineral King lands to help prevent any planned major development of the valley and destruction of the community. It was only when Public Law 95-625 was written and directed through Congress without regard for the requirement for historic preservation, that residents learned their historic community was scheduled to be lost in a few years. Leases then were presented to the cabin owners authorizing occupancy of the structures for no more than the life time of the permittees of record on the date of the law’s enactment. If the permittee did not sign the permit agreement as presented, the cabin would have to be vacated. This was not a matter of actual agreement or choice. Fortunately, laws can be, and constantly are, amended or changed. The 1978 bill that passed through Congress without regard for the historic nature of the Mineral King community can and should be amended.
