Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-01-29
Work Favors Two
Southern Parks
One in Virginia, Second in the Ap.
palachians-Tar Heels Active
North Carolina Commission Will
Present Bill to Congress.

North Carolina Park Commission,
Senator Simmons has asked the leg
islative drafting service of the sem
ate to render any help possible to
the North Carolina Park Commission
and the North Carolina delegation in
formulating a bill that will follow
exactly the resolution recently adop-
ted by the North Carolina Park Com
mission at its meeting in Senator
Simmons office with the North Car
oljna delegation. 1t is assumed that
the bill when formulated, will be
submitted to the North Carolina park
commission for approval of its exact
form, and that the North Carolina
delegation will then have it intro
duced in the house by one of the
Western North Carolina representa-
tiNes, Mcs-rs Doughton, Bulwinkle
or Weaver and it is considered prob
able that the bill as finally agreed
upon by the delegation and the North
Carolina Park Commission will be in
troduced in the senate by Senator
Overman. The bill will seek to create
congressional commission to in
vestigate all the sites that have been
presented for consideration for the
location of the national park to be
established in the Southern Appala-
chiau mountain SYST pm
Steps for the creation of "Smoky
Mountain National Park" in Ten
nessee and North Carolina would be
authorized under bill introduced
today by Senator Mcclellan.
The secreary of the interior would
be directed to determine the boun-
.daries and areas of land desired for
the park and to receive offers for
donations of land or money, and to
secure options" Appointment of an
expert commission to advise with him
Yin laying out the park also would
be provided.
The section to be survey under the
bill would comprise johnson, Carter
Unicoi, Washington, Greene, Coche,
Sewer, Blount, Monroe, and Polk
Counties in Tennessee, and Cherokee
Graham, Swain, Haywood, Madison,
Yancey, Mitchell, Watauga and Ashe
counties in North Carolina.
Carrying the approval of the di-
rector of the bureau of the budget
and the President of the United
States, Secretary of the Interior
Work today sent to Congress recon-
mendations for the establishment of
two national parks in southern APP
palachian mountain range.
The first park, which will be au-
thorized under a bill now in the
House, introduced by Representative
Henry w. Temple, of Pennsylvania,
would be established at Blue Ridge,
Va. The Secretary also recommended
that an appropriation of $4,000 al
ready approved for survey of the
Blue Ridge site be increased to $751;
900 for a similar study and reporton
the proposed second national park in
the Great Smokes area of North
Carolina and Tennessee.
The Temple bill, which was sent
TO the secretary of the interior and
Nbudget bureau for consideration,
would authorize the interior secre-
tary to report to congress on the
boundaries and areas of such pOr-
tions of the two park sites as may be
recommended by him to be acquired
for national park purposes and the
best means for acquiring such land.
He would be further authorized to
appoint an advisory commission OF
five park experts to make the sur-
veys.
Secretary Work declared without
qualification that he was in favor OF
establishment of both proposed nat
ional parks, adding that one would
be operated to supplement the. other.
Referring to the facts that 18 OF
the 10 national parks now in opera
tion are west of the Mississippi river
while 70 per cent of the population
of the United States is east of the
Mississippi Mr.. Work said it was
his opinion that definite policy
should be adopted by the government
for the creation of additional nation
al parks in the eastern section fol
the public use and general welfare
of its millions Of inhabitants. Most
Of these live in densely populated
communities, and cannot afford time
or money required to visit the west
ern national parks. The east con.
tributes it's share to the upkeep and
maintenance of the existing national
park system, and for that reasor
too, should be entitled to recognition