Cover Page

Contents

Preface
Letter

SECTION I

Orientation
Summary

SECTION II

History
Needs
Geography
Historic Sites
Competitors
Economic Aspects

SECTION III

Federal Lands
State and Interstate
Local

SECTION IV

Division of Responsibility
Local
State
Federal
Circulation

SECTION V

Educational Opportunities

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EXISTING AREAS

PROPOSED AREAS

1. Sawtooth National Park, Idaho, in the Sawtooth Mountain Range.

2. Palm Canyon National Monument, Riverside County, California: a part of the Aqua Callenta Indian Reservation.

3. Orange (sic Organ) Pipe Cactus National Monument, Utah (sic Arizona): on the public domain.

4. Capitol Reef National Monument, Utah, on the public domain.

5. Green River National Monument, Colorado-Utah: on the public domain.

6. Joshua Tree National Monument, San Bernardino-Riverside Counties, California: typical desert flora and fauna; on the public domain.

7. Kofa Mountains National Monument, Arizona: an area of native palms.

8. Wind River National Park, Wyoming; in the Washakie National Forest and the Wind River Indian Reservation.

9. Escalante National Monument, Utah: spectacular scenic and historical area along the Colorado and Green River Basins.

10. Indian Mounds National Monument, along the Mississippi River, in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; in private ownership.

11. Redwoods National Park, California: in private and State ownership.

12. Big Horn Canyon National Park, Montana-Wyoming: spectacular canyon on the Big Horn River; mostly within the Crow Indian Reservation.

13. Spruce Pine Hollow National Park: West Virginia, typical panorama view of the Alleghany foothills; in private ownership.

14. Luquillo National Park, Puerto Rica: within Luquillo National Forest.

15. Boulder Picture Writings National Monument, Lake County, Oregon; combination of desert and mountain scenery.

16 Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota: within the Pipestone Reservation.

17. King's River Canyon National Park, California: undeveloped wilderness of high scenic quality; within the Sierra National Forest.

18. Zion National Monument, Utah: area of high scenic quality.

19. Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia: area of seven days' battle around Richmond in 1862 and 1864 during Civil War.

20. Ackia Battleground National Monument: site of battle in Mississippi in May 1736, in which the Chickasaws, aided by some Englishmen, repulsed a French force and their Choctaw allies.

21. Andrew Johnson Homestead National Monument, Greenville, Tennessee: site of Andrew Johnson Homestead and tailor shop is which he worked as a young man; established to commemorate his patriotic and courageous service.

22. Fort Stanwix National Monument, Borne, New York: site where Iroquois in 1768 ceded a vast area in the west to the British Crown. Scene of an unsuccessful month-long siege during the American Revolution.

23. Patrick Henry National Monument, Charlotte County, Virginia: Red Hill, the estate of Patrick Henry.

24. Spanish War Memorial, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida: the major part of the American Expeditionary Forces to Cuba in 1898 embarked from a nearby point.

25. Homestead National Monument, Nebraska: site of first homestead in the United States entered under the General Homestead Act 1862.

26. Whitman National Monument, Washington: site of Waiilatpu Mission, established in 1836 by Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissus Prentiss Whitman.

27. Fort Frederica National Monument, Georgia; built in the year 1735 by James Oglethorpe as an outpost against the Spanish invasion.

Recommendations for Federal Action by the National Park Service

I. It is recommended that the Federal Government hold temporarily inviolate the recreational resources of such Federal areas as in the opinion of the President, upon recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior, may ultimately prove their worth for incorporation in a national recreational program.

II. It is recommended that the Federal Government undertake a study of the recreational resources of the Nation—where they are, what they are, how best to use them—in order to make possible the development of a national recreational system.

III. Looking to the early realization of this national recreational system, the fundamental elements of which have been the subject of studies made by the National Park Service, it is recommended:

A. That a grant be made from emergency funds for an immediate recreational survey of the United States undertaken by the National Park Service, this to include a study of the highways in relation to recreation, and also to include certain special studies of historical and archeological resources.

B. That Congress authorize the National Park Service to make the national recreational survey one of its continuing functions; and that it further extend the functions of that Service to include the rendering of assistance to the States and political subdivisions thereof in their recreational planning, in accordance with a national program; and that Congress recognize appropriate items in the annual budget of the National Park Service, if and when the authorization is given.

C. That, subject to the approval of the President, the Secretary of the Interior be authorized to transfer, by lease or patent, to any State or political subdivision thereof or to any Territory or to the District of Columbia, any lands, exclusive of national parks and monuments, now owned or hereafter acquired by the United States which, in the judgment of the Secretary, are chiefly valuable for recreational purposes and are not needed for Federal administration: Provided, however, That in the case of any lands administered by another department of the Federal Government, the concurrence of that department shall first be obtained.

D. That the National Park Service be provided with adequate funds and personnel to enable it to render assistance to other bureaus and departments of the Federal Government in the protection and development of the recreational resources on lands which they administer, and that interbureau agreements be adopted where mutually advantageous.

E. That in view of the fact that Federal lands, other than those administered by the National Park Service contain scenic, historic, scientific, and other recreational and educational values worthy of protection and development for recreational and educational use, it is recommended that Congress regularly provide the several bureaus and departments administering such areas with sufficient appropriations to enable them to undertake such protection and development.

F. That historic, prehistoric, and scientific sites on Federal lands be protected by more effective enforcement of existing laws, and that recognition of this need be given in congressional appropriations.

G. That Congress authorize Federal acquisition and development of a system of national beaches on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes, because of the undoubted national significance of these recreational resources, their exceptional recreational-use value, and their rapidly decreasing availability for public use.

H. That legislative authority be given for reclassification of existing national parks, national historical parks, national military parks, national monuments, battlefield sites, national cemeteries, and miscellaneous memorials.

The present classification of areas is cumbersome and misleading; since tine National Park System has grown beyond its original composition of parks and monuments, it now includes a diversity of areas difficult to administer under established categories and their appropriate standards.

The purpose of this reclassification would be to place each area in the group appropriate to its type of protection, development, and use.

I. That legislative authority be given for elimination from the National Park System, and transfer to other public agencies, of certain existing national parks and monuments which are either lacking in national significance or unsuited to the purpose for which national parks and monuments exist.

J. That all privately owned lands within existing national parks and monuments be acquired by the Federal Government, and the power of condemnation, to be used only when necessary, be extended to apply to all such areas.

K. That in view of the proposed extension of Federal activities in both national forests and national parks, the following areas which have previously been under consideration be again studied to determine how the public interest would be served best:

Park additions involving lands now under the administration of the Forest Service:

1. Mount Olympus National Monument: The present area of this national monument is approximately 300,000 acres. The present boundaries should be revised in order to include the winter range of the Roosevelt elk, and to include a large representative section of the finest forest west of Mount Olympus which is of a type not duplicated elsewhere in the United States. This exceptional forest is in an area of high rainfall, with a total annual precipitation of 140 inches or more. These lands are now in the Olympic National Forest, some of them having been in the Mount Olympus National Monument as originally established. The Olympic Mountains constitute one of the most primitive and untouched areas of beautiful mountain scenery in the United States.

2. Rocky Mountain National Park: Inclusion of Arapaho Peak country.

3. Yosemite National Park: Inclusion of approximately 9,600 acres of superlative Sugar Pine near Carl Inn, on west boundary of the park (see also p. 28, proposed Sierra Nevada Park).

4. Sequoia and General Grant National Parks: (a) Kings River Canyon area; (b) Redwood Mountain area (also involves private property); (c) Mineral King area; (d) Land south of General Grant National Park (see also below, proposed Sierra Nevada Park).

5. Crater Lake National Park: Diamond Lake area and other boundary adjustments.

6. Yellowstone National Park: Thoroughfare and upper Yellowstone country.

7. Grand Teton National Park (legislation recently submitted to Congress).

8. Grand Canyon National Park: Comparatively minor extensions of both north and south boundaries.

9. Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Addition, perhaps as a detached unit, of a wilderness area now in the Lincoln National Forest.

10. Lassen Volcanic National Park: Boundary changes, especially to the north, are recommended from study.

The following additions that have been proposed involve land now in the public domain:

11. Zion National Park: Kolob Canyons, Utah.

The following additions that have been proposed involve land now in private ownership:

12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Guadalupe Mountains in Texas.

13. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Extension to the Pigeon River, on the south, in order to provide a more complete biologic unit for wildlife, also an exchange of land between the Cherokee Indian Reservation and the park.

14. Hawaii National Park: An extension of time southern portion of the park, including additional coast line. Some other areas are suitable for additions, if available.

L. That among the areas having features which qualify them for consideration as national parks or monuments, the following listed areas be given further study and that early action be taken to establish those which are available, upon recommendation of the National Park Service, for addition to the national park system:

1. Areas in the Navajo Indian Reservation, Ariz., and adjacent portions of the public domain in southeastern Utah.

2. Palm Canyon, Riverside County, Calif. A part of the Mission Indian Reservation.

3. An area of organ pipe cactus, in southern Arizona; on the public domain.

4. Wayne Wonderland, Utah. On the public domain.

5. Yampa Canyon, Colo. On the public domain; referred to below as part of a larger area.

6. An area of Joshua trees and desert vegetation southwest of Twenty-nine Palms, California. On public domain.

7. An area of native palms in the Kofa Mountains, Ariz. On the public domain.

8. Channel Islands, Calif. Five of these eight islands are in Federal ownership, and the three principal islands are in private ownership.

9. Meteor Crater, Arizona. In private ownership.

10. Indian mounds along the Mississippi River Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In private ownership.

11. An area of redwoods in the coast redwoods belt, California. In private and State ownership.

12. Big Bend country, Texas. In private and State ownership; adjacent to Mexican territory of high scenic quality and offering an opportunity for international park.

13. The lake region of northern Minnesota.

14. The White Mountains, N. H., and the Green Mountains, Vt.

15. Luquillo Forest, Puerto Rico.

16. Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia and Florida; largely in private ownership.

17. Dismal Swamp, Virginia and North Carol largely in private ownership.

18. An area of the Sierra Nevada, Calif., to include Yosemite National Park, King's River Canyon, General Grant and Sequoia National Parks, and intervening portion of the Sierra above the commercially valuable timber on both sides of the crest; also to include one or more extensions reaching down the east face of the Sierra.

19. An area composed of a number of the volcanic cones along the Cascade Range, in Washington, Oregon, such as Mounts Rainier, Baker, St. Helens, Adams, Hood, etc., and such intervening supplemental area, or areas, as display at its best the virgin forest of the Pacific Northwest.

20. An area to include, roughly speaking, the Colorado River gorge from the junction of the Green Colorado Rivers, Utah, to the Grand Canyon, Ariz.

21. An area to include the Green River, in Utah and Colorado, from Flaming Gorge through Brown's Park and Lodore Canyon, the Yampa Canyon project, Split Mountain and Dinosaur National Monument.

22. An area similar to the one described for Sierra Nevada may be defined within the Rocky Mountains after further study.

In addition to the areas mentioned above, there areas of great importance because of historic prehistoric features, that are not now in the system of national parks and monuments. A number of historic areas should be added and also a number of prehistoric areas, but they are not listed specifically, because further study is needed to determine the order of priority of numerous areas of these types.

The Eastern and Southeastern States contain some of the most important historical areas; the Southwestern States contain highly important archeological areas and the Western States contain areas of outstanding scenic magnificence. The proposed national parks and monuments will therefore be widely distributed in various portions of the United States.

M. That the Federal Government acquire at once those private holdings which are necessary to the development of them National Capital Parks System, and that authority be given by the President, upon recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior, for addition to the National Capital Parks System of appropriate Federal lands which lie within the region of the National Capital, not now included within this system, and that the necessary steps be taken for the unification of all recreational facilities of the National Capital under the general supervision of the National Capital Parks Administration.

N. That the President be authorized to proclaim as national wards, from time to time, certain species or subspecies of wildlife, such as the trumpeter swan, white pelican, grizzly bear, etc., because of their rarity and great recreational value.

O. That the Federal Government acquire, by purchase or donation, lands adjacent to national parks and monuments needed for their administrative integrity; and that Congress authorize other needed boundary adjustments, necessary for the same reasons, by transfer or exchange of federally owned lands.

P. That provision be made for acquisition by the Federal Government of hotel, lodge, transportation, and other public utilities now serving the visitors to national parks, these properties, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, to be operated by private corporations, or directly by tine National Park Service.

Q. That the national park automobile license fees be abolished.

R. That existing legislation prohibiting the charging of fees for camp-ground privileges in national parks and monuments be abolished, and that decision concerning the imposition of such fees be left to the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior.

S. That the Federal Government exert its influence, through existing governmental agencies or through the creation of additional governmental agencies if necessary, to eradicate pernicious forms of land abuse—such as stream, lake, and beach pollution, overgrazing, unwarranted drainage projects, etc.—which are destructive of the Nation's recreational resources.

T. That Federal aid to State highways be conditioned upon proper landscape supervision of their design and construction, including tine obliteration of abandoned roads or parts thereof, upon elimination of outdoor advertising from adjacent areas otherwise non-commercial, and upon control of such other border uses as lessen their recreational value.

Last Modified: Fri, Sep. 5, 2003 10:32:22 am PDT
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