FURTHER STATEMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 613 



or pronounced demonstrated expertise in this field of natural beauty 

 development. It was altogether too clear that "Beauty is in the eye 

 of the beholder." Many cursed the darkness said to result from 

 our developers, engineers, and others who are blamed for the appear- 

 ance of our countryside. But few lit a candle to show the way to 

 a more naturally beautiful tomorrow. 



The architects called for a new approach are the architectural 

 treasures of our cultural heritage to be discarded? Many urban 

 dwellers and suburbanites called for beautiful highways now that 

 they have efficient access to home, job, shopping, and vacation. 

 Fundamentalists in landscape architecture called for a return to 

 Tightness where people don't built on slopes or in the flood plain 

 where they never should have been (and with this we wipe out 

 most of the population of western Pennsylvania, southern New 

 York, West Virginia, and other areas like eastern Kentucky, western 

 North Carolina, and Maryland, etc.). Avowed conservationists 

 called for preservation (or the exclusion of people for the benefit of 

 a privileged few). 



Only here and there did a mayor remind us of the need to be 

 practical and recognize the role of politics, the art of the possible. 

 Occasionally a brave public official reminded delegates of the many 

 ongoing programs already available and the administrative proce- 

 dures, dedicated staff, and allocated funds that could accomplish 

 natural beauty program goals. Now and then a Girl Scout leader, 

 a League of Women Voters' representative, or a State commissioner 

 of agriculture arose to advise about useful experiences or implemen- 

 tation tools, such as conservation commissions, that further the cause 

 of natural beauty. 



In summary, it appears that natural beauty is like motherhood. 

 Everyone is for it but goes about it somewhat differently and this is 

 where the confusion and conflict arises. 



One of the major conclusions appears to be the need for a task 

 force on natural beauty. Its purpose would be to identify useful 

 existing programs and to provide a central information clearing- 

 house on all natural beauty aspects. Included would be informa- 

 tion on Wisconsin's successful landscape architecture based eco- 

 logical inventory program, Ohio's (or California's) statewide rec- 

 reation plan, the river renewal demonstration projects proposed 

 by Cornell's Water Resources Center, the research findings of a 

 national design center, the historical landmark inventory needs noted 



