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GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF PARKS 465 



systems and Bergen County has taken steps to do so. To the west and 

 northwest of the city the states of New Jersey and of New York combined 

 in establishing the very large Palisades Interstate Park (45,000 acres approxi- 

 mately). To the north of the city, Westchester County is developing a very 

 comprehensive park and recreation system and the States of New York, 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut to the extreme northeast are establishing 

 a tri-state park. On Long Island the Long Island State Park Commission 

 is establishing a comprehensive system of large metropolitan-state parks. 

 Thus an extraordinary regional park and recreation problem is being worked 

 out in a more or less uncorrelated manner on the basis of existing political 

 divisions. In New York City itself there is no unity of administration, there 

 being five separate park and recreation administrative organizations. 



(c) Cleveland and environs. The acquiring, developing and operating 

 of a system of outlying park and recreation areas in the metropolitan region 

 of Cleveland is being worked out on a district basis under the authority of 

 a general legislative act providing for the establishment of metropolitan 

 park districts under metropolitan park boards or commissions. 



(d) Buffalo and environs. Under the authority of a legislative act the 

 County Board of Supervisors of Erie County has established a county park 

 commission which is actively engaged in acquiring, developing and operating 

 a system of outlying parks. The state, through the Niagara State Park 

 Commission and the Allegany State Park Commission, is making a vital 

 contribution to the regional park and recreation needs of this region. 



(e) Chicago and environs. The metropolitan region of Chicago pre- 

 sents an unusual multiplicity of park and recreation governing authorities. 

 Within the city itself there are nineteen independent park and recreation 

 districts for the most part possessing the corporate powers of municipality; 

 one general bureau in the municipal department of public works having 

 charge of certain parks, playgrounds and bathing beaches over the city as 

 a whole, and one Bureau of Recreation under the Board of Education. Out- 

 side the city limits there are eleven independent park districts possessing 

 corporate authority; and operating both inside and outside the city limits, 

 although chiefly outside the city, but confined within the limits of the 

 county, is the Cook County Forest Preserve District (31,600 acres - 

 1926) under the Cook County Forest Preserve Commissioners, who are the 

 same as the County Board of Supervisors. Part of the metropolitan area of 

 Chicago is within the state of Indiana. In this section, in addition to the 

 park systems of the local municipalities, the state of Indiana has provided, 

 with some aid from private funds from citizens of Chicago, a large state park 

 known as the Dunes State Park. A major weakness in the handling of the 

 Chicago metropolitan park situation is lack of unity, and in the case of the 



