STATE PARKS AND RESERVES. 



FOREST PARKS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE RURAL 

 COMMUNITY. 



By Charles F. Curtis, B. Sc., D. S. 



I am very greatly interested in the purpose and the work of this 

 organization, the Iowa Park and Forestry Association. 



Nature has done a great deal for Iowa in the way of most pleasing 

 and attractive scenic 'beauty. The Indians seem to have recognized 

 this in the name that they gave to Iowa, "Beautiful Land." I do not 

 know that we, as a whole, have been altogether as appreciative as the 

 Indians, in recognizing and making the most of these places of beauty. 

 In fact, some of them have been ruthlessly destroyed. I think it is very 

 important, indeed, that a sentiment be created, in making the most of 

 our places of beauty and the attractive places for recreation. We are 

 all greatly interested in the plans for establishing a national park in 

 northeastern Iowa, and it is certainly to be hoped that plans for that 

 work may be constructed in the near future and we may have a park 

 which will be most pleasing, attractive and useful to the people of the 

 state and the nation. The automobile has become a great factor in the 

 welfare of the community. I think it is highly important that we 

 consider the development of the park in connection with this, not only 

 for the tourists who are going through the state, but for our own people. 

 The people of the state can utilize these parks to a much larger degree 

 as the highways are improved and the automobile comes into more 

 general use. 



We have a great many other places in the state that should be uti- 

 lized as parks under state supervision or even under county or com- 

 munity supervision. I think we ought to begin to develop a state pol- 

 icy of utilizing and preserving and making the most of these places. 



I suggested a year ago, when this association had a meeting here, the 

 state has a large fund accumulated through the office of the State Game 

 and Fish Commission, that comes from the contributions of the people 

 of the state who take out licenses, and it seems entirely fitting and 

 proper that this fund be utilized in a way to be of most service to the 

 people of the state and of permanent value, and the proceeds from the 

 fish and game licenses might be applied on parks for the conservation of 

 fish and game to excellent advantage, I believe. I believe the Fish and 

 Game Commission has recommended that tracts of land be purchased at 

 certain places in the state along the streams where fish and game may 

 be preserved. I believe that it would be an excellent idea to carry out 

 some such plan. I think we might go farther. We have a good many 

 lakes in the state and some of these afford ideal places for establishing 

 game and fish preserves. In these sections the land is not very valuable 



