338 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



Of course, certain specialized problems will obviously require im- 

 mediate action within the framework of our existing law. The 

 President's Appalachian program contains much that should come 

 to grips with blights such as the concentrated strip mining of that 

 region has produced. For particularly neglected natural rivers 

 there is the Hudson Highlands National Scenic River bill, which I 

 introduced, and the Potomac program. These both involve new 

 concepts of conservation that may prove helpful in the broadened 

 war on ugliness. 



In providing increased Federal incentives and controls to pre- 

 serve scenic values, the private sector requires particular attention. 



I am now drafting and will soon submit a National Underground 

 Powerline Act which will provide significant incentives to utility 

 companies to put their lines underground. It will also provide for 

 research and development activities coordinated by the Department 

 of the Interior. However, I would look with favor on developments 

 that would enable us to transfer this function to an independent 

 commission that could draw upon the experience and expertise of 

 the Federal Power Commission, Interior and private companies and 

 coordinate this program with other similar national conservation 

 drives. 



I have introduced similar legislation to give private companies an 

 incentive to install anti-water pollution devices, and other pending 

 legislation provides money for research and incentives for air pollu- 

 tion control. 



Today, we are faced with the possible loss of valuable scenic and 

 landscape resources of great economic value to our people. Once 

 gone, these resources will be truly irreplaceable and in addition to 

 the economic assets that will be lost, something very important will 

 have gone from our American way of life. 



We have arrived at a point in our national development at which 

 we need to rethink our entire approach to economic questions in- 

 volving scenic values. In the 1920's and 1930's, when the industry 

 of our Nation was starving for want of power, we created the Federal 

 Power Commission. We vested this Commission with unusual au- 

 thority to use our lands in promoting the development of power in 

 the Nation. Earlier in the 1 9th century, in a much less sophisticated 

 way, we did the same thing for our railroads and other utilities. The 

 development of the Nation over this time is a credit to the wisdom of 

 the policy and policymakers. 



