The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1922-06-01
Good Roads Will Aid in Developing
National Park in Georgia

weeks exploration of Georgia mountains, with view to
establishing great recreational park in the national
forest in that section of the state, party of
government officials and highway and forestry experts
will undertake survey, the recommendations OF
which future action will depend.
In the party will be Thomas H. Mcdonald, chief of the
federal bureau of public roads, A. E. Loder, engineer
in charge of federal road work. stationed at Montgom
cry, Ala; c. W.-Reed assistant chief Of the national
forestry bureau charge district forester of the
Appalachian reserves; S. D. Thompson forest supervisor
of the reservation stationed at Athens Tenn; R.
w Shields forest supervisor of the Nanahala reser-
vaton now stationed at Franklin, N. c.. Major General
Lansing H. Reach chief engineer of the department.
REFRESHING Secretary Weeks, who is chairman of the
national forestry commission; Colonel William j. Barden
engineer of the department. stationed at Mus
Gle Shoals Ala E. S. Shipp chief of the federal bureau
of photography, forestry department. Congressman Cor
don Lee, of the Seventh Georgia district southern
Der of national forestry commission Congressman Thorn
Jas NJ Bell, of the Ninth Georgia district, in whose
district the largest of reservations
located; Congressman w. w. Larsen, of the Twelfth
Georgia district who is the Georgia member of the house
Dads committee; w r. Neel chief engineer of the Geor
gia highway commission, and S. w McCallie Georgia
state geologist.
The personnel of this party indicates the Importance
of the task they undertaking.
The Washington correspondent Of the Atlanta Con-
tituton which paper fostering this expedition writ
ing of the expedition, says:
I'm the north Georgia mountains in areas now owned
~ the government there are of the pictures
QUO spots to be found in North America including high
attitudes Jagged mountains, canyons, valleys, rivers
springs, waterfalls great broad hardwood forests much
of this area indeed being impenetrable only by trail.
1T is the purpose of this expedition study closely
and scientifically the possibilities for making of the
great show spots of America summer playground that
hall be free to every man and who may choose
20 enjoy it, divorced from the influence of capital pro-
notion and commercalization.
The government has already provided a fund of S.
for the building of good roads in forestry reser
vations, and is proposed to have such system built
INTO the Georgia reservations shall make the play
rounds when dedicated accessible from every sec
ton of the nation.
'This is Of the most potential undertakings for
Georgia and he>souJh that the federal government has
ever actively cooperated n and the people of Geor
a particularly to be congratulated that distn-
guished party of government experts will into
the mountains of that state with this great purpose
lin view
There few government officials SO much in demand
las Chief Mcdonald, of the bureau of public roads and
in order to join the expedition into Georgia it was nee
essary for him to cancel important engagements in the
west The may be said of the forestry experts
who detailed to the tour and the active cooperation
ot Secretary Weeks, who is sending the DEPARTMENTS
engineers evidence of the great national aspect that
this movement has already taken.
National forest holdings in Georgia comprise por-
ton of the Cherokee national forest in Fannin Union
Lumpkin, Towns and White counties where the federal
government has acquired 005 acres of total of Al g.
256 acres within the purchase unit and portion of the
Natahaa forest in Towns Rabun and Habersham coun-
ties, where $1,000 have been acquired out of
prospective total of 264294 acres"
The greatest handicap to this wonderful undertaking
or the state of Georgia is the fact that the in
his section are in such shape that progress such de-
Ivelopment would be seriously retarded.
The State Highway department had mapped out for
ONE time the construction of highway from Dahl
omega, county seat of Lumpkin county, to Blarsvlle
county seat of Union County, which will be part of the
state system of roads when completed One of the pro-
posed routes for this road would cross national forest
land for distance of about miles, between Grassy
Gap and Wolf Pen Gap, the forest service has an
allotment of $4,000 available to build this section
whenever the counties and finance the requir
ed cooperation the sections outside the forest hold
lings
The road would open up a large amount of timber
which would be used locally for building purposes
you'd materially benefit large farming section 1t
would permit the people of Central and South Georgia
TO motor from Cleveland, Gainesville Dalonega etc. to
Glue Ridge mountains, and supply ongfet need for
an opening to a recreational area in the forest
Here is another instance of where the state of Geo
rgia is standing in the way of her progress in fail
ing to build highways that provide the necessary
of transportation to her natural beauty
and scenic wealth.
If the state did nothing with the proposed bond
issue for good roads than open up her mountain
to her citizens for great recreation park it would be
the best investment made, for such playground
would not only attract people from the central and SOU
them parts of the state but would people from
the central and southern parts of the nation who
now to the New England and Canadian woods for the
summer
But the bond issue will do more than this it will
open up mountains to pleasure seekers and it will
also invite the than 100 600 tourist who go through
the state each year Florida resorts to nger in the Sou
thern part of Georgia. where the winters as de-
ightful Florida and would enable that part of the
state to become famous winter resort the northern