342 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



survive, reclamation must occur in advance, simply by prohibiting 

 the ruin. Government can enforce such prohibition, or an enlight- 

 ened business community including the men and corporations 

 which own the minerals can resort to other methods of extraction. 



If necessary, they can wait until new techniques make possible 

 their recovery by means which permit the continued usefulness of 

 the land. Our affluent society should not be so hungry for cheap 

 fuel as to purchase it at a cost so dear. 



Whether the Appalachian coalfields will be preserved in their 

 ancient natural splendor for the enjoyment of many generations 

 of Americans yet unborn or reduced within the coming generation 

 to a wasteland is a question that addresses itself to this conference. 

 It addresses itself to the boardrooms of scores of great corporations 

 and the consciences of American shareholders. The conventional 

 working of economic and corporate decisions provides a momentum 

 far too big to be matched by local county governments or even 

 State statutes. Only a national conscience and a Federal strength 

 of purpose can effectively meet the issue. And as the destruction 

 spreads across Appalachia, the hills, the hollows, the streams, the 

 fish, and the wildlife of the yet unravaged lands await the answer. 

 And the future will judge the answer as long as there is an America. 



Mr. MOTT. I believe that each of you recognize in the comments 

 made by the various panelists the problems that exist and you were 

 told of several solutions : local tree planting through civic conscience 

 of the people living in the area ; of total government control as prac- 

 ticed in the United Kingdom; industry recognizing the problem 

 and developing ideas and setting up criteria for its members to fol- 

 low; Federal, State, and local cooperation in solving the problem, 

 and Federal leadership and research. 



These are some of the solutions for solving this complicated prob- 

 lem. We are dealing with an industry that is essential to the economy 

 of the United States, but I am convinced that there must be and 

 will be solutions to this problem. 



Questions and Discussion 



Mr. DAVISON. Mr. Collins, you said that reclamation costs now 

 are averaging in the neighborhood of $1 a ton. Do you have any 

 idea what percentage of the pithead price of coal that would be in 

 the United Kingdom, as an average? 



