74 



Some of these proposals were meritorious, as 

 in the case of Kings Canyon, the Grand Tetons and 

 the Olympics in Washington. Others were quite 

 debatable and were defeated by public opposition. 

 Only in recent years has agreement been reached 

 between Agriculture and Interior for joint examina 

 tion of proposed conversion of national forest lands 



* 



to national park status. 



At one time the National Park Service got the 

 notion that they should administer national forest 

 lands primarily useful for recreation. This was an 

 absurd idea, wholly disregarding the obvious incon 

 sistency, confusion and added expense that would 

 result from two agencies trying to administer an in 

 divisible entity. Nothing came of this proposal* 



Despite these conflicts the two Services cooper 

 ated well in such matters as fire protection and 

 insect and disease control where their lands adjoined. 

 Furthermore there was one period during which the 

 leadership of the National Park Service forsook 

 underground campaigns, when Newton Drury was Direc 

 tor of the National Park Service. He was a fine 

 man to work with. 



