Evening star., 1924-12-14
CONTINUED from First Page.)

the Southern Appalachian National
Park Committee, in accordance with
your instructions, have spent the past
eight months investigating the south
ern Appalachian Mountain region
with a view Of determining whether
areas exist Of sufficient size, contain
ing scenery Of such grandeur, and at
the same time typical of the region.
which are suitable to be considered
as a site for national park.
Mature calls us all, and the re-
sponse Of the American people has
been expressed in the creation, SO far,
of 10 national parks. All but one are
west of the Mississippi River. The
two-thirds of our population living
east of the Mississippi has contented
itself with a few State parks, not
knowing that in, the Southern Appa-
lachian Ranges there are, several
areas, which fill the definition of a
national park, because of beauty and
grandeur of scenery, presence OF
wonderful variety Of trees and plant
life, and possibilities Of harboring and
developing the animal life common
in the precolonial days, but now near
ly extinct.
.r'It has not been generally known
that Eastern parks Of national size
eminent. The committee has been
impressed with the amount OF inter,
est manifested in all sections of the
East in the proposed establishment
OF a national park in the Southern
Appalachian region, and this interest
has resulted in numerous requests
that the committee inspect various
areas. Many of these requests per-
tained to localities that have abun-'
dant scenic features, but which are
not of sufficient size to warrant their
befnr considered for a national park
Made Personal Study.
Every effort has been made to con-
slider carefully the merits of the vari--
GUS proposed sites, and wherever
there was evidence that an area
seemed to justify the committee in
making a personal inspection visits
have been made. either by the COM
mittee as a whole or by delegation
from it. Many of the areas In these
mountains having unquestionablen ma
tional park features are now in the
national forests under Government
control and so available for recrea-
tional use, the committee is not dis
posed to suggest change IN their
present status.
1--WE inspected the northern part
of Georgia, whose fine mountains 5
blend with the Highland region OF
southern North Carolina. We ascend-
ed Mount Mitchell and viewed the
snlendid Black Mountain range north
Of Asheville. We went over carefully
the Grandfather Mountain region,
which for our study included the
beautiful country from Blowing Rock
to remarkable Linville Gorge. We
responded to the call of the poet.
to see Roam Mountain If we would
really see the Southern Appalachians,,
We went to Knoxville and from there
to the tops of THE Big Smokiess.
which carry on their crest the oound-
ary line between North Carolina and
Tennesse. We went into Virginia to
inspect that portion Of the Blue Ridge
on the east side Of the Shenandoah
Valley. which extends from Front
ROYAL to Waynesboro. Some members
of the committee also visited Cum
berland Gap, southern West Virginias
northern Alabama, and eastern KEN
lucky.
Saved by Inacceasibility. =
Several areas were found that con-
tained topographic features of great
scenic value, where waterfalls, cas-
cades, cliffs and mountain peaks, with
beautiful valleys lying in their midst.
gave ample assurance that any or all
Of these areas were possible to- de-
velopment into national park which
would compare favorably with anY
of the existing national parks in the
West. All that has saved these near
by regions from spoilation for so long
a time has been their inaccessibility
and the difficulty of profitably ex-
plotting the timber wealth that man.
ties the steep mountain slopes. With
rapidly increasing shortage and
mounting values Of forest PRODUCES
however, we face the immediate dam
ger that the last remnants of our
primeval forests will be destroyed,
however remote on steep mountain
side or hidden in deep lonely cove
they may be. 4
"It is the opinion Of tho COMMITTEES
that q park in the East should be lo-
Gated, If possible, where it will bene-
flt the greatest number and 1t should
be of sufficient size to meet the needs
as a recreational ground for the peo-
pie not only of today, but of the COM
ing generations. The committee
therefore decided that no site cover
ing less than 500 square miles would
be considered. This eliminated q
large number Of proposed areas and
allowed the committee to concentrate
it's efforts on q few that appeared to
be possible sites on account of their
size, location, and favorable scenic
features These sites have therefore
been thoroughly examined. ~
I'VE have found many areas which
could well be chosen, but the COM
mittee was charged with the respon-
sibility of selecting the best, all
things considered. OF these several
possfbfe sftest.the 'sSreat ASnokey
Mountains easily stand fifst, be-
cause Of the height OF the noun