50ti 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Department of the Interior. The simplest manner of 

 bringing these two services under one executive head 

 would seem to be to place them both in the same depart- 

 ment. But at present they stand in separate organiza- 

 tions. With all of the good will possible under the cir- 

 cumstances, with all of the desire to co-operate that may 

 be present, the functioning of the recreational work of 

 these two departments cannot be as well correlated as 

 though there were some central policy-making body of 

 single executive group that could organize the recreation 

 of the nation without regard to map lines, with no con- 

 sideration of imaginary boundaries and which would 

 think primarily of returning the greatest aggregate rec- 

 reational wealth to the nation and the world that is pos- 



problems extending from the most compact of home 

 grounds to the organic plan of whole cities, park systems 

 and the organization of a schematic development of entire 

 regions. There is no question but that the American 

 Society of Landscape Architects, the official organization 

 of the profession, would lend all aid that is necessary to 

 put the planning and development of our national recre- 

 ation system on a sound basis. 



The foresters as represented in the Society of Ameri- 

 can Foresters and the American Forestry Association 

 could give inestimable assistance to the forming of a 

 recreation policy and system which is to grow up in the 

 areas which will in most cases be found to have forest 

 cover. There is little question but that the most enthusi- 



A LAKESIDE CAMP UNDER PERMIT IN THE PIKE NATIONAL FOREST IN COLORADO. A REALLY SUBSTANTIAL CABIN, 

 WITH A BRICK FIREPLACE, ASSURES COMFORTABLE HOUSEKEEPING AND ONE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO LONG DAYS OF 

 PLEASURE AND NIGHTS OF INVIGORATING REST IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS 



sible from our magnificent areas in the National Parks, 

 Forests, Monuments and Reservations. 



Would it not then be a further step forward if there 

 were to be formed such a body with any power that 

 seems fit to organize this recreation resource of the 

 nation ? There are a number of organizations of national 

 scope that would lend their support to any such move. 

 The best talent in the land could thus be brought into 

 consultation on the problems facing the recreation organi- 

 zation insuring the best possible development. And this 

 group could continue to function as an advisory body 

 in the event the two services were at some time placed 

 in the same department. 



Foremost of all, the professional landscape architects 

 of the country have a deep interest in the development 

 of our national recreation grounds. Fundamentally the 

 art practiced by this group has to do with the fitting of 

 earth surfaces to human use, the magnitude' of their 



astic kind of support of a plan for general organization 

 of recreation would come from members of this pro- 

 fession. 



Engineers are needed to aid in those problems which 

 are primarily based on engineering. Roads are to be 

 built, sanitary systems are needed at many points to safe- 

 guard health and many technical engineering problems 

 will be present. Engineers wherever they may be are 

 ever progressive and their support as represented in the 

 many national socities may be counted on. 



The architecture which will be found within these 

 areas serving the public is as much in need of the skill 

 and artistry of the architect as the forests of the forest- 

 man or ground surfaces and covers need intelligent plan- 

 ning by landscape architects. By all means there should 

 be architects in such a group as may be formed and the 

 National Society should be counted on for the same 

 strong support as the other professions. 



