194 PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 



travel great distances annually, in order to secure recreation and rest 

 which is essential to good health. For this reason the states, especially 

 those of the prairie region, would pursue a wise policy in the establish- 

 ment of state forest parks which would be within easy reach of every 

 man, woman and child in the state. The value of a program of this 

 kind toward the welfare of the people can hardly be estimated. A forest 

 or park area of this kind located in every county of Iowa, is not an 

 unreasonable thing to look forward to. After our park system is once 

 established and in operation, we will wonder why we waited so long 

 to provide these areas. 



Hardly a county in Iowa is found without a suitable area for this 

 purpose. The northern counties of the state have a wealth of lakes 

 which sihould be among the first to be preserved for all time for the use 

 of the people. These lakes are now largely owned by the state. The 

 addition of even a narrow strip of land surrounding these splendid bodies 

 of water would guarantee the use of these localities for the people 

 as a whole. The expenditure of a small sum of money in proper main- 

 tenance and beautifying these areas wouild turn those which are not 

 already in good condition, into parks which need not take second place 

 to any similar areas in this part of the country. Many of the counties 

 which are not favored by the presence of lakes, have beautifully wooded 

 streams or hills or splendid geological features which should be set aside 

 as state park areas before these are utterly destroyed. Any person who 

 is acquainted with the various localities throughout Iowa, knows the ex- 

 tent to which timber, which has been growing from 50 to 200 years, has 

 been cut. If these areas can be set aside and protected we will have at 

 once a series of parks which might take a hundred years to reproduce 

 if the areas are once despoiled. 



These forested areas scattered over the state serve not only as recre- 

 ational grounds but are factors in the ameliorating of our climate. In ad- 

 dition, for the satisfaction of some people, it is necessary to look at 

 these areas from the standpoint of their money value. The land dealer 

 well knows the value which is added to the farm having a good grove of 

 trees adjoining the farm buildings. It is well known that a farm so 

 equipped will sell at a considerably higher price than a similar farm 

 not so equipped. Is it not true that splendid park area in a county 

 will actually add value in dollars and cents to the surrounding farm 

 lands in that locality? It is hardly to be supposed that in a state as rich 

 as Iowa where farm land values have doubled over and over again in the 

 past few years, that we cannot afford to provide for the reservation of 

 these relatively small forest park areas in the various communities. 



Iowa has a wealth of tree species such as are found in few other locali- 

 ties in the world. To most people it would seem rather ridiculous to 

 consider for a moment the possible extinction of certain tree species of 

 Iowa However, we have come very close to this point in connection 

 with the most important evergreen tree which has been grown in this 

 country. The white pine formerly found in considerable numbers in 

 northeastern Iowa and as far west as Hardin county, is now a rarity. A 

 few small patches of this timber are still to be found. In other places, 

 isolated species are still in existence. At the present time the question 



