▁Island ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁using ▁Sc orp ion ▁R anch ▁as ▁their ▁base . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁area ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Mont añ on ▁range , ▁which ▁included ▁Sc orp ion ▁Har bor ▁and ▁Sm ug gl ers ▁C ove . ▁They ▁managed ▁the ▁island ▁with ▁resident ▁man agers ▁and ▁labor ers ▁and ▁often ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁family ▁during ▁she aring ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁summer . ▁Production ▁dropped ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁ran ch ing ▁on ▁a ▁remote ▁island ▁rose . ▁ ▁Pro t ract ed ▁lit ig ation ▁between ▁the ▁G her in is ▁and ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁when ▁the ▁northern ▁Channel ▁Islands ▁were ▁designated ▁a ▁national ▁park ▁and ▁Congress ▁author ized ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁the ▁family ' s ▁remaining ▁land . ▁But ▁the ▁purchase ▁was ▁held ▁up ▁as ▁family ▁members ▁pushed ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁pay ▁what ▁they ▁believed ▁was ▁the ▁appropriate ▁amount . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁government ▁managed ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁Francis ▁G her ini ' s ▁three ▁sib lings ▁for ▁about ▁$ 4 ▁million ▁ap ie ce . ▁But ▁the ▁former ▁Ox n ard ▁att orney ▁continued ▁to ▁ins ist ▁that ▁the ▁offer ▁was ▁too ▁low , ▁keeping ▁his ▁ 2 5 % ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁ 6 , 2 6 4 - acre ▁( 2 5 . 3 5 ▁km