Although Koons tried to express his sympathy about Hudspeth's problems with hunters, their telephone conversation became confrontational once Koons maintained that the park would remain open. Excavation ceased where Hudspeth hit rock, but Koons treated this activity as harassment and contacted the highway department's legal division to see what could be done about it. The commission granted approval to acquire the land under easement by condemnation because a change in ownership and failure to agree on a price hindered negotiations. Little could be done to stop visitors or wildlife from climbing the Painted Hills, however, because the state did not have a resident caretaker. The shaded portion is the state's picnic area, where it had fee title, but only a recreational easement on the remaining 2,822 acres until 1971 when it secured full title through condemnation.
Bridge Creek is represented by a broken line because that portion of it is intermittent.
County roads are shown by double lines, while unimproved access is indicated with dashed lines. Leaf Fossil Hill is identified because it represents the Bridge Creek Flora's type locality.