Woodlands may have been cut, stream channels dredged and wetlands drained, destroying all but a memory of their beauty and recreational values. There are compelling reasons for our need of open lands and why we should waste no time in providing more. Those reasons have been confirmed and emphasized by exhaustive studies and statistical analyses nationwide in scope. The population of these United States is increasing rapidly. Most of the increase is taking place in metropolitan areas, Adequate open lands properly located are essential for the well-being of the people in those areas.
People have more and more leisure time.
They have more money to spend. The complexion of America is changing before our eyes. Three-fourths of that population will be clustered in metropolitan regions around about 200 central cities. The demand for recreational areas and facilities will have tripled. Those people will need, convenient to them, woodlands, waters, and open spaces where there is elbow room, freedom from man-made and manhandled environment, and a feeling of closeness to the soil.