out its policy of Forest Preserve extension and that $3,500,000 

 will provide for the necessary extensions and permanent im- 

 provements of the Palisades Interstate Park over and above 

 anticipated gifts from private sources. 



In making further provision for these projects an opportunity 

 is presented to the state to take the first steps toward the devel- 

 opment of a really comprehensive and unified state park plan 

 which will take into consideration the anticipated growth of 

 the state's population and more particularly the growth of the 

 larger cities. In the last five years there has been a great de- 

 velopment of interest in parks throughout the state. This is 

 due to the inadequacy of city parks, the increased interest in 

 conservation and recreation generally, the enormous increase in 

 motor cars, and in part, at least, to the remarkable success of the 

 Palisades Interstate Park. As a result, a number of communi- 

 ties neglected in the previous bond issues now justly demand 

 that their needs be considered in connection with the next parks 

 bond issue. This applies particularly to the western part of 

 New York State, to the Finger Lakes region, to Westchester 

 County and Long Island and the metropolitan district generally, 

 and to the so-called east central part of the state. These de- 

 velopments and extensions must be brought about in the course 

 of the next few years if at all. While the State of New York 

 has been one of the foremost states in the union in the number 

 and character of its state park developments, the assumption 

 of these activities did not come about as a result of any central 

 plan or policy. Our forty parks and places of scenic and his- 

 toric interest, ranging from the Forest Preserve to Spy Island, 

 have been established partly upon the initiative of the state 

 but largely on account of private initiative and gifts supple- 

 mented by state aid. No conscious effort has been made to 

 develop a unified state park program looking toward the future 

 recreational needs of a rapidly growing community and toward 

 the further development and unification of the existing state 

 parks. We believe that the time has now come to take the first 

 steps toward the development of a plan of this kind which will 

 insure, while there is still time, the further extension of the 

 Forest Preserve and recreational facilities for all the people 

 of the state, beyond those which any one community or group 

 of neighboring communities may be expected to provide for 

 itself. 



Anticipated Growth of Cities 



No intelligent state park plan can be made without reference 

 to the anticipated growth in population, particularly in the 

 population of cities. For purposes of graphic illustration we 

 have obtained through the courtesy of the New York Telephone 

 Company the following figures which the company is using 

 currently as a basis of its planning and extensions: 



