Notes and Correspondence. 281 



addition were made with the proposed boundaries, there would 

 be an unfortunate effect on the industrial development of this 

 section of the country. The action would result in tying up over 

 four bilHon feet of timber in the Sequoia National Forest and a 

 large amount of timber also in the Sierra and Kern national 

 forests. It is my understanding that a great deal of opposition 

 has developed against this proposal among the local residents, 

 particularly among the stockmen, who are now enjoying grazing 

 permits in the national forests involving nearly five thousand head 

 of stock. 



It is my decided judgment that the question of the enlargement 

 of the Sequoia National Park should be deferred until the estab- 

 Hshment of a Bureau of National Parks and the development of a 

 definite policy in regard to the areas which should be included in 

 the parks and the principles governing the establishment of the 

 boundary lines. I am a very earnest advocate of national parks 

 and believe that we should eventually have many more than at 

 present. I feel, however, that in establishing the parks there 

 should be some consistent policy in regard to what classes of land 

 should be included. The parks should certainly comprise such 

 areas of timber land as are essential for park purposes, but should 

 not, in my judgment, include great bodies of commercial timber 

 which should be cut and utilized as they come to maturity. It 

 would be very unfortunate to include such areas in parks, because 

 ultimately the conditions would require their utilization, and it 

 would then be necessary either to exclude them from the parks 

 or to give authority to cut them in the parks. This last action 

 would be very unfortunate, as it would inevitably lead to a more 

 or less commercializing of the resources of the parks, to which I 

 am greatly opposed. The parks should be administered purely 

 from the standpoint of their usefulness as recreation grounds 

 and not for commercial use of their resources. 



I must, therefore, express my earnest opinion that this pro- 

 posal, as well as other proposals for the creation of new parks, 

 be deferred until the question of the permanent administration 

 of all the national parks is definitely settled and an opportunity 

 is granted to develop consistent policies of management. 



Very sincerely yours, 

 (Signed) H. S. Graves, Forester. 



[Published by permission of the Forester. — Editors.] 



