DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. 7 



for 1915. For the first time also funds have been provided for the 

 care and protection of the national monuments under the Interior 

 Department, many of which have scenic as well as historical value. 

 Twenty-one thousand five hundred dollars was appropriated for the 

 fiscal year 1917. 



COOPERATION OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. 



Recognition has also been given for the first time to the danger of 

 destruction which has threatened most of the largest and noblest 

 trees in the world, the Big Trees (Sequoia w ashing toniana) of 

 Sequoia National Park. These Big Trees stand on land patented to 

 citizens of California before the creation of park, and can be 

 destroyed at any time by their owners. The sundry civil act of July 

 1, 1916, which carries all national park appropriations for the cur 

 rent fiscal year, contains a provision making available the sum of 

 $50,000 for the purchase of the private holdings on which these 

 splendid trees are growing. Negotiations with the owners of these 

 lands in the Giant Forest, which this section of the park is called, 

 disclosed the inadequacy of this appropriation to effect their pur 

 chase. Seventy thousand dollars was demanded for all of these hold 

 ings and all other holdings of the same interests, and no tract could 

 be purchased unless all of the properties were included in the 

 transaction. 



The outlook for the perpetual preservation of the Giant Forest was 

 growing dark when cooperation in the safeguarding of the forest was 

 tendered by the National Geographic Society. On November 10 the 

 board of managers of the society arranged to apply $20,000 of the 

 funds of their organization to cover the difference between the pur 

 chase price of the forest land and the congressional appropriation; 

 and by this generous action we are now able to extinguish the largest 

 private ownership of the great trees of the park and insure their 

 preservation for our generation and for posterity. The holdings 

 purchased with this additional fund will be donated to the Federal 

 Government. The members of the National Geographic Society may 

 justly be proud of their participation in this national enterprise. 

 Their contribution marks an important step in the progress of the 

 science of geography, a science which has received such a tremendous 

 stimulus through the activities of the society. 



CREATION OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 



The special legislation of greatest importance was the passage of 

 the national park service bill, providing for the establishment of a 

 bureau in Washington to administer as a properly coordinated sys 

 tem all of the national parks and the national monuments under the 



