The Region - News from Feb. 11, 1987

Santa Rosa Island may be open to the public as part of Channel Islands National Park by Memorial Day but its operators said they hope old-style vaqueros may still run cattle there as examples of living history. Channel Islands National Park Supt. William Ehorn said limited day trips--but no overnight camping--will begin on the island this summer, and he hopes to reach an agreement with Russ and Al Vail, ranchers who have run cattle there for years, to maintain their operations under a five-year lease-back arrangement as “interpretive history” for visitors. At present, Ehorn said five or six permanent ranch hands run about 6,600 head of cattle brought in as calves from Idaho, Utah and Nevada. “Where else,” he said, “can you see vaqueros in action like that?”