284 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



A National Park Service. 



CONGRESS CONSIDERING A BILL TO CREATE A FEDERAL BUREAU OF PARKS 

 — ENDORSED BY PRESIDENT TAFT AND SECRETARY 

 OF THE INTERIOR FISHER. 



A bill "to establish a Bureau of National Parks, and for other 

 purposes," is now with the Committee on Public Lands in the 

 Senate. A hearing on this bill is to be had at an early date. The 

 purpose of this bill is to bring about a larger use of and to give a 

 business-like administration to all national parks and the numerous 

 scenic reservations of the Government. 



At the head of this bureau would be a director, with experts 

 and assistants, who, under the direction of the Secretary of the 

 Interior, shall "have the supervision, management and control of 

 the several national parks, national monuments, the Hot Springs 

 reservation in the State of Arkansas, lands reserved or acquired 

 by the United States because of their historical associations and 

 such other national parks, national monuments or national reser- 

 vations of like character as may hereafter be created or authorized 

 by Congress." 



At present there are forty-one of these reservations. These 

 places are almost without roads, hence the scenery within them 

 can be enjoyed by only a few people. It is pointed out that if 

 these parks be given a business-like administration and roads built 

 through them, that not only would Americans, but Europeans, visit 

 them annually by the thousands, and thus cause their resources to 

 produce millions of dollars annually. 



Up to date no plan has been made for the development or care 

 of these places. Their administration is scattered through three 

 departments of the Government. As a result, these areas are 

 supervised, or neglected, by oft-changed administrators, who are 

 busy with other matters. Both President Taft and Secretary 

 Fisher have strongly endorsed the creation of this park bureau. 

 In a special message to Congress February 3d, President Taft 

 said : 



"I earnestly recommend the establishment of a Bureau of 

 National Parks. Such legislation is essential to the proper man- 

 agement of those wondrous manifestations of nature, so startling 

 and so beautiful that every one recognizes the obligations of the 

 Government to preserve them for the edification and recreation 

 of the people." 



In a recent address endorsing the estabHshment of a bureau. 

 Secretary Fisher said: 



"We ought to have some sort of central authority, a bureau, 

 which might act, not for one of the parks alone, but for all of 

 them." 



