CITIZEN ACTION 585 



positive programs such as preservation of the city waterfronts, zoning 

 protection of public buildings, and special zoning districts such as 

 those at the city's gates, etc. 



The White House Conference on Natural Beauty will provide a 

 long-awaited impetus at the national level towards coordinated 

 efforts in the areas of concern. The efforts of Commissions such 

 as ours are halted at the municipal boundary line. It will be well 

 and good for our cities and our Nation, through the leadership of 

 our President and the Federal Government, if our townscapes can 

 retain and reclaim their special features of urban beauty, if the 

 great American countryside can be restored and preserved, if our 

 highways can be made a pleasure rather than a visual obstacle 

 course to the driver-viewer, and finally if, through education and 

 the partnership of local-State-Federal concerns, our people will 

 enjoy and be strengthened in spirit by the unique quality of beauty 

 in nature. 



Mrs. RALPH A. REYNOLDS. Citizen support of legislative and 

 administrative action for environmental beauty can be effective only 

 through organized joint effort. Without such organized joint ef- 

 fort, the influence of individual citizen groups is relatively poorly 

 financed, scattered, and weak. 



In California, such a coalition has just been organized, embracing 

 planning, conservation, beautification, and certain professional 

 groups (such as the design professions). Individuals also may be 

 members. The joint organization is called the Planning and Con- 

 servation League for Legislative Action. 



By joint use of funds, a year-round lobbyist (we hope) can be 

 maintained; by joint study, evaluation and priorities can be agreed 

 upon in relation to State legislation; by force of numbers united, 

 the league wields far more influence than would the unorganized 

 sum of its parts. 



We suggest that this conference recommend such organized joint 

 action on the part of citizen groups in all States. Furthermore, in 

 order to gain adequate financial support, nonprofit, nonpartisan 

 citizen groups whose objective is environmental beauty should be 

 given advantageous tax status so that they can obtain tax-deductible 

 grants from foundations and other large donors. 



WARREN ROGGEMAN. Five-point-six (5.6) square miles of 

 America seem too insignificant to highlight at this conference, yet 

 what has happened there is happening everywhere in our country. 



