The National Park Service * * * * 127 



up, or the owners have been persuaded to exchange their lands for other 

 public lands. Some have refused to do this. In Yosemite, and in Gla 

 cier, too, the National Park Service is exchanging timber away from 

 the roads for important stands held by the private timber companies 

 along the roads leading into the parks. The park service has been much 

 criticized for permitting the cutting of timber in Yosemite. As a matter 

 of fact, there is nothing the service can do about it. The timber came 

 into the hands of the private owners before the national park was 

 created. The best the service can do is to trade timber in remote areas 

 for timber that borders on the roads, so that the visitor will not have to 

 pass through barren areas of cut-over forests en route to Yosemite 

 Valley. 



Practically every one of the national parks except Yellowstone has 

 the problem of private holdings with which to contend. In some of the 

 parks the holdings are in remote places where they do not interfere with 

 park operations. Others, such as Rocky Mountain, Yosemite, Glacier, 

 and Hawaii National parks, are invaded by relatively large holdings. 

 In 1927 Congress appropriated a fund of $50,000 to be used in the 

 purchase of private lands within the parks, provided that in such acqui 

 sitions the government funds were matched dollar for dollar with 

 funds privately contributed. This policy of appropriation, if continued, 

 will result in practically all private holdings in the national parks being 

 returned to the public. 



In some of the parks, proposed revisions of the park boundaries 

 will eliminate many private holdings. Revision of the Rocky Mountain 

 Park line has eliminated already more than eighteen thousand acres. 

 When such revision can be accomplished without losing important fea 

 tures, or without complicating park operations, it is the policy of the 

 service to make the change. 



A similar condition in Yosemite obtained with respect to roads. 

 Prior to the creation of the National Park Service, all of the roads built 

 into Yosemite Valley were privately constructed and owned. The Wa- 

 wona Road was constructed by a turnpike company which at first trans 

 ported passengers by horseback, then by horse-drawn stage, and finally 

 by automobile. One of the first problems of the new park service was 

 to persuade this company to turn the road over to the public in ex 

 change for a grant for the exclusive use of the road for stagecoaches 

 during a certain number of years under government maintenance. 



An even more interesting situation prevailed with respect to the 

 Tioga Pass Road, one of the most spectacular scenic drives in any of 

 the parks. This road was built by a mining company across the heart 

 of territory that is now Yosemite Park, before the creation of the park 

 service. Fortunately, the mines did not pay and they were abandoned. 



