Not all tidelands are suitable for geoduck aquaculture. In 1926 Nolen completed a plan which placed the civic center on newly dredged tidelands. In 1874, the Oregon State Land Board began selling public tidelands to private landowners. Evergreen has approximately of untouched beach and of southern Puget Sound tidelands. Over of tidelands and seafloor habitat were included in the proposed aquatic reserve. However, in 1874, Oregon State Land Board began to sell public tidelands to private landowners. As former tidelands, the title to these lands was unclear. Throughout the pier's existence, progressively greater portions of the bayshore tidelands were filled in. The tidelands controversy involve the limits of state ownership. It is entirely within the State Tidelands zone, which encompasses areas within of shore. In 1937, the state began purchasing the privately owned tidelands around the Capitol Campus. The issue of state versus federal ownership has a long and contentious history (see "Tidelands"). Pioneer Square had originally been built mostly on filled-in tidelands and often flooded. Approximately half of the park was once state tidelands. The states whose tidelands were thought to contain minerals objected strongly to the decision.