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Sierra Club Bulletin 



hundred thousand. The influence of this travel is already being 

 felt in the growing demand for a park-to-park highway sys- 

 tem. It is to be hoped that this demand will result in securing 

 the co-operation of local, state, and national agencies in a com- 

 prehensive broad-guage extension and paving program. 



One obvious lesson from the past season is that the more 

 remote sections of the parks must be rendered accessible by 

 trails and public camps. This is illustrated particularly in Yo- 

 semite, where some outlet must be found for the ever-increas- 

 ing throngs in the valley. It is the aim of the National Park 

 Service to assist in every way the campers who bring their 

 own equipment and the travelers who desire modest accommo- 

 dations away from the general centers. 



Three new national parks were established during 1919. The 

 Grand Canon of the Colorado, in Arizona, which has been a 

 national monument since 1908, administered by the Department 

 of Agriculture, has at last been made a national park. The bill 

 was signed by the President on February 26, 1919. It is pro- 

 posed to hold dedication ceremonies early this spring. On the 

 same day a bill was signed creating the Lafayette National 

 Park on Mount Desert Island, in the State of Maine. This is 

 our first national park east of the Mississippi. Since 1916 it has 

 been administered as the Sieur de Monts National Monument. 

 The third new park is Zion National Park, in Utah, embracing 

 the wonderful Zion Canon, which has been a national monu- 

 ment since 1909. The creation of these three parks constitutes 

 an important step in the rounding out of a comprehensive park 

 system adequate for the recreational and educational needs of 

 the nation. 



Other steps are in contemplation. Of the many suggestions 

 for additions to the system, certain ones stand out as pre-emi- 

 nently desirable. Foremost is the proposed Roosevelt National 

 Park in California. The Phelan bill, designed to create this 

 park, was passed by the Senate a year ago, but its counterpart 

 in the House of Representatives, the Elston bill, was held in 

 committee, so that the matter died with the expiring Congress. 

 New bills following the same lines have been introduced in 

 both houses during the current session, and, with the continued 

 support of such public-spirited organizations as the Sierra 



