In the late 1980s, Moab was a town in painful transition. Mining had been a boom, but now was a bust. In an effort to seek new economic development, Moabites had chosen not to site a toxic waste incinerator nearby.
By the early 1990s, then-Grand County Commission Chair David Knutson was warning that depending on tourism alone for jobs, and Moab’s future, needed to be very carefully considered. Some tourists had already discovered the beauty of the river corridor and were camping in increasing numbers, freely using their camps as bathrooms. If tourism was to be an economic anchor, plans to intelligently manage the numbers of people coming needed to be developed quickly.
The Bureau of Land Management began to find areas along the Colorado River that could be developed into adequate campgrounds. The city and county examined existing infrastructure and sought advice about what would be needed to become a successful tourist destination.
In the midst of this, Charles Nelson was aware of the impending health problem caused by illegal and careless camping in the areas surrounding Moab. Exercising his lawful property rights, he proposed to the county commission that a 10-acre site he owned would provide a camping place close enough to the river, but far enough from town, to be an alternate and attractive place for campers.
He recognized that a formal campground would help put a stop to bathroom waste and campground litter, bring a little revenue to the family, and provide a beginning to the control of Moab’s tourism aspirations. He envisioned 10 acres of his much larger holding to be large enough to help the problem, but not so large or commercial as to impact the wetlands and adjacent river.
His stated intent was to be a small part of helping the community adjust to a new role, while being mindful of being a good steward of land use.
At this time, it wasn’t clear where tourism would take Moab, but changing this 10-acre parcel to a commercial zoning seemed a thoughtful beginning. Planning commission and county commission notes reflect that much discussion of commercial impact and ecological issues occurred before a decision was made.
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