20 THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 



In his most recent report Director Mather draws attention 

 to the fact that no less than five extensive irrigation power 

 projects proposing to utilize the waters of Yellowstone lakes 

 and rivers by impounding them within the park itself have been 

 vigorously furthered by Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in- 

 terests since 1919, and that one of them had got before Con- 

 gress and secured a favorable vote in the Senate. It is the opin- 

 ion of the Director, after careful investigations, that any one of 

 these projects, if completed, would seriously mar the beauty 

 of the park. 



A. still more serious menace to the National Park Idea was 

 contained in the Federal Water Power Act, signed by Presi- 

 dent Wilson on June 10, 1920 (41 Stat. L., 1063). This act, 

 when submitted to the National Park Service in tentative 

 form, safeguarded the parks and monuments from commer- 

 cial invasion for water power or irrigation purposes; but as 

 finally passed by Congress it contained a provision specifically 

 opening up all the parks and monuments for water power devel- 

 opment. Upon protest being made, the bill was signed with 

 the understanding that amendatory legislation would be pre- 

 sented and passed at the next session of Congress excluding 

 the parks and monuments from the scope of the act. This 

 action was taken, and an act repealing so much of the Federal 

 Water Power Act as authorized the use of existing parks and 

 monuments for power projects was signed on March 3, 192 1 

 (41 Stat. L., 1353). The parks were further safeguarded 

 from the operation of the act by the inclusion of a clause in 

 the sundry civil act of March 4, 1921 (41 Stat. L., 1380), 

 providing that no part of the appropriation for the Federal 

 Power Commission should be used for any expense connected 

 with the leasing of water power facilities in any national park 

 or monument. 



Between the passage of the Water Power Act and its amend- 

 ment several applications were made to the Federal Power 

 Commission for licenses for water power rights in the Sequoia, 

 Yosemite, and Grand Canyon parks. The commission, how- 



