6 TH Eb tA(UCD UB O NB U Libis h aii 
Garfield Park: Responding to the pressure of the West Side claque of 
Chicago businessmen and others who may stand to make a profit, the Gen- 
eral Assembly voted by an overwhelming margin to support the demand of 
the Trustees of the University of Illinois for use of Garfield Park as a uni- 
versity site. The legislation empowers the Chicago Park District to transfer 
the land to the university, but it is not known at this date whether the park 
will be surrendered. Perhaps only a small portion of the 185 acres may be 
sacrificed; perhaps all may go down the drain to satisfy the insatiable 
greed of one segment of society. 
What a miserable similarity is seen here between those forces who would 
sacrifice an established city park in a congested neighborhood, and those 
who would prevent the establishment of a “national park” in the Indiana 
Sand Dunes! That only three “nay” votes were cast in the Illinois House 
in favor of protecting the park is a sad commentary on the weakness, apathy 
and lack of leadership of the outdoor conservation forces in this state. After 
50 years of conservation activity in this country, 50 years of education, and 
50 years of conVersation, we were able to round up only three Jegislators 
to vote for the protection of open land. Certainly this vote must be taken as 
an indictment of those forces who feel conservation groups should only be 
interested in “education,” that we should not tackle anything that is “con- 
troversial.” One may ask, “whom are we educating,” and what is not “con- 
troversial?” 
Montgomery Arboretum: A small wooded area in DeKalb, on the campus 
of Northern Illinois University, has been saved from destruction through 
the work of a local committee headed by Mrs. S. A. Tyler of that city. The 
local newspaper, the DeKalb Chronicle, spearheaded a statewide drive which 
persuaded the Teachers’ College Board not to support the decision of Presi- 
dent Holmes to convert this area into a site for two university buildings. 
The Arboretum contains trees over 100 years old and provides shelter for 
woodpeckers, hawks, owls, and many unusual plants. 
National Legislation: Many bills of great importance to the conservation 
movement are still stalled in Congress, although supporters still hope for 
passage before this session ends. This includes the Wilderness Bill, the 
Indiana Dunes National Monument Bill, and the “Save Our Shorelines” 
Bill. The latter is an omnibus bill providing for protection of several areas 
as National Parks. 
Desplaines Wildlife Refuge: The U.S. Senate has passed legislation en- 
abling Illinois to keep a portion of the Joliet Arsenal area as a permanent 
wildlife refuge. This victory crowns a long, hard struggle by sportsmen’s 
groups and others to prevent this area from being sacrificed to the Santa 
Fe railroad as an industrial site. A compromise permits use for both rec- 
reation and industry. The bill must still pass the House. 
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Notes at Random: Milwaukee is not the only area that is suffering from 
pollution. The Danish island of Saltholm has found that its rainwater is 
radioactive and the use of rainwater — the only source of drinking water — 
