Editorial 



NEW NATIONAL PARKS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION 



SrNCE the outbreak of the war, the tide of tourist But how many large areas exist in the West whose 



travel, diverted from European objectives, has scenic features are so strikingly unique and l)eautiful as 

 sought out every nook and corner of our own land, to demand their unconditional reservation as parks? The 

 and the numbers of visitors to our great National Parks, setting aside of several hundred thousand acres, upon 

 the Yellowstone, Yosemite and (ilacier, has more than which exery resource must lie idle except the exploitation 

 doubled. As a result, a wide public interest has arisen ,,f ji^e tourist, will in most localities result in greater loss 



than gain to the local community. The timber is needed 

 for local industries, and mines would lie idle for lack 

 of it. Sheep and cattle which formerly supported hun- 

 dreds of small settlers would be expelled from these 

 national lands. Waterpower development would be pre- 

 vented. Under these circumstances, such reservations 

 would be fiercely opposed by the very communities which 

 might benefit by the tourist. 



Actuallv confronted by this dilemma, our statesmen 

 representing these localities have resorted to the simple 

 device of trying to eat the cake and have it too. Numer- 

 ous bills, among which may be mentioned those to create 

 the National Park of the Cliff Cities, New Mexico, the 

 Mount Baker National Park, Washington, the Sawtooth 

 National Park, Idaho, the Cabinet National Park, Mon- 



in the entire subject of national parks, which has focused 

 in numerous definite projects, eagerly championed by 

 various localities, which would be benetited by their 

 establishment. The existing National Parks, with their 

 great number of \'isitors, and extensive advertising and 

 supjjort by railroads, not only bring in considerable 

 local revenue but aid in securing large congressional 

 appropriations for good roads within and to the parks. 



New National Parks are seldom established by the pur- 

 chase of private lands. Even the groves of Giant Sequoias 

 were obtained l.)y the Goxernment largely by exchange 

 for other timber. In nearly everv instance, these new 

 proposals involve the reservation of property now owned 

 by the nation. With few exceptions the areas desired 

 for their scenic beauty now lie within National Forests, 

 and are under the administration of the Forest Service. 

 Since every acre of National Forest land is open to tana, the Sequoia National Park, California, and others, 

 the free use of the public for recreation, it is evident deliberately grant the power to the national government 

 that there must exist some specific reason other than to conduct lumbering operations, grant rights of way, 

 the right to enter and enjov the beauties of nature, for relinquish lands for agriculture, permit mining and graz- 

 setting aside as National Parks, lands now administered ing, in exactly the same manner, on these proposed park 

 as National Forests! areas, as is now permitted on these same areas under 



This reason lies in the fact that the existing National their present classification as national forests. The 

 Parks are reserved ivholly for recreation, and that com- \ital distinction of "park"' areas is to be deliberately 

 mcrcial uses siicli as ffracing by domestic animals, lum- marred to silence local opposition, and to secure the 

 bering, mining, agriculture and poiver development are advantages of a "national park," including additional 

 rigidly excluded. There exists a deep-rooted sentiment federal appropriations for roads, with none of its restric- 

 in the minds of the public who seek nature for itself tions or drawbacks. 



that such commercial uses are a desecration. The lum- Aside from the dishonesty and deception inherent in 



berman's ax must be forever barred — the older and more such proposals, there is the additional serious defect 

 decrepit are the veteran trees, the greater the charm of that every bill of this kind proposes to remove the 

 their presence. Overgrazing by wild game as seen in the suggested areas from the present jurisdiction of the Na- 

 immense herds of elk in the Yellowstone Park, which tional Forest Service and transfer them bodily to the 

 have to lie fed with hav in the winter to escape starva- Department of the Interior. As long as the existing 

 tion, is wholly in harmony with the true objects of parks National Parks are few, large and segregated from 

 as such — to preserve nature in all its wildness — but the National Forests, as at present, the waste and friction 

 presence of sheep and cattle, which destroy the same inherent in having two parallel administrations of national 

 wild flowers and eat the same browse as the elk, is wholly lands is not so apparent. But should this movement 

 incompatible with these objects. result in the creation of numerous smaller areas, upon 



These convictions and prejudices are so strongly rooted which all sorts of commercial activities are legally sanc- 

 that the wisdom of administering areas designated as tioned — the proper administration of the resultant lum- 

 parks under a separate organization is apparent. Those bering, grazing and other uses would demand a complete 

 areas like the Yellowstone upon which the public has duplication — in the Interior Department — of the organi- 

 placed a high sentimental value must be free from ;ill zation of the Forest Service over contiguous areas. No 

 suspicion of commercial spoliation. argument can be fund for such a wasteful plan. 



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