Park Service buys 26,500 acres of private land for Petrified Forest

The National Park Service has purchased 26,500 acres of private land to add to Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona, at a cost of about $8 million, according to news reports this morning. The lands were owned by the Hatch family and used intermittently as a tourist site. As soon as we find a map showing the location, we'll post it. [right, photo credit Petrified Forest National Park]