SCENIC ROADS AND PARKWAYS 221 



trails within 30 minutes' driving time of everybody in the State of 

 Wisconsin and, in many parts, less than that. 



Along all our scenic parkways and scenic drives, it is a very 

 simple matter to carefully plot out a hiking and camping trail sys- 

 tem and make the necessary acquisition by easement. We can 

 develop a plan and get the participation of the Boy Scouts, Girl 

 Scouts, church groups, and campers as they have done so magnifi- 

 cently for so many years with the Appalachian Trail, which is 

 maintained on a voluntary basis by the members of the Appalachian 

 Trail Conference. 



I think this is a very fruitful direction in which to turn in 

 connection with the development of our scenic roads and waterways. 



One title is missing, it seems to me, in this conference, and that 

 is what I would call the politics of conservation. We have not 

 failed the conservationists have not failed for having ideas. Great 

 speeches were made by John Muir a hundred years ago on what was 

 coming and great speeches were made by Teddy Roosevelt and 

 by many each generation since. Fortunately, the late President Ken- 

 nedy and now President Johnson have been giving vigorous execu- 

 tive political leadership to the question of conservation. We see the 

 whole country becoming aroused by the kind of leadership we are 

 getting now. We need that leadership at the national level. In fact, 

 it is crucial, but we need it also at the State level and at the local 

 level. We don't fail for ideas, we fail for translating these ideas into 

 political action. Over all the years I have dealt with the very fine 

 conservation organizations who are concerned, interested, and who 

 support good conservation practices, our failure has been a political 

 failure. 



It is a very strange thing to me because the fact of the matter 

 is that there is not an issue in America in my judgment more impor- 

 tant than the conservation of our resources: water, soil, forest, 

 wilderness, and air. There is no political issue with broader public 

 appeal to it because it is the only issue I know of that cuts across 

 every conceivable political line and touches every single individual 

 from the little lady in New York with a pot of flowers outside her 

 window or the bird watcher, or hunter, fisherman, camper, sailor, 

 hiker, or what have you. Some aspect of nature directly touches and 

 interests every single person in America in one way or another. There 

 isn't any other issue as broad as this one. This is why it seems so 

 strange to me that we haven't had the kind of political leadership 



