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THE NATIONAL PARKS AND EMERGENCY CONSERVATION


PROPOSED INCREASES IN THE PARK AND MONUMENT SYSTEM

The national park system is not yet complete. Nevertheless, only areas which meet the standards set up by the existing major parks are considered for inclusion in the system.

Measuring the trails
Measuring the Trails

It is hoped eventually to make complete this national gallery of scenic, historic, and scientific displays. In the field of parks, for instance, Congress has already given authority for the addition of four important areas to the system. One is the Shenandoah Park project in Virginia, important both scenically and historically. Another is the Mammoth Cave region of Kentucky, a lodestone of travel for generations. Isle Royale in Michigan is important for its island beauty and its great herds of moose. These parks and the Morristown Historical National Park in New Jersey cannot be established until the lands within the approved boundaries have been acquired and donated to the United States.

Of the four, the Morristown Park is nearest completion, and plans now call for the transfer of that area to the Federal Government and its dedication as a national park on the Fourth of July. The date is peculiarly fitting, since the area to be preserved in the new park is one of the most famous areas in Revolutionary War history. Had it not been for Morristown and Baron von Steuben, who drilled the colonial army there, the glorious victory at Yorktown in all probability would not have been possible. Among other areas which should be included in the park system are the Everglades of Florida and a typical desert-cactus area. New monuments are created from time to time as areas of historic or scientific interest demand national protection.

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Last Modified: Tues, May 23 2000 09:38:48 am PDT
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