Evening star., 1926-05-16
B STATES NOW
/ POSSESS PARKS
Spread of Reservation for
Recreational Purposes Idea
Has Been Great.

within a few years State parks
have become one of the major rec
reation resources of the United
States. and q survey just completed
shows that new areas invite the va
cationist this Summer" says a bull
letin from local headquarters of the
National Geographic Society.
The sixth national conference on
State Parks, at Hot Springs, Ark,
June 14-16, will hear reports show
ing that during the short lifetime of
this organization, formed in 1921,
which co-ordinates the advance of
such preserves, the number of States
maintainging State parks has doubled.
The survey shows that 43 of the As
States now have State parks, State
forests with more or less recreational
use, or other preserves under State
agenGies of equivalent value and use.
Hot Springs was chosen for this
years meeting. in recognition of the
remarkable progress in the establish
ment of State parks and forests, or
in legislative means for their acqul-
sition, which has been made during
he last few years by the states OF
the South and Southwest.
South Joins i'm State Park Progress.
when the conference is called to
order by Chairman John Barton
Payne. who is chairman of the Amerl-
can lted Cross, he will greet many
new faces among the delegates. rep
resentatlVos of Southern and South
western States which have lately en-
tered this field OF rublic service. When
the honor roll of the States is called,
on the second day Of the meeting, the
recent achievements of Southern
States will be an interesting feature,
because gains in the South have been
especially notable.
Since the last conference, Ten
nessee and Virginia have created con-
Servation commissions with State park
powers, Florida has passed State
park law, Georgia and Mississippi
have created forestry departments
with recreational provisions, Alabama
has acquired a State park committee.
Louisiana will add State park di-
vision to its conservation commission
Arkansas is acquiring a compre
henSive State park system. Oklahoma
is working to the same end through
its forestry and game commissions
and Texas, which last year reported
its record of So State park sites re-
ceived by gift. is improving them for
public recreation.
State Parks of Large Size.
Some State parks rival national
parks in size and scenic beauty: |
Adirondack Park in New York. with |
1850, 600 acres owned by the State, is |
exceeded only by Yellowstone; Custer
State Park. in South Dakota, of 1O7,. |
acres. is of national park standard |
Other large State parks are the Cats !
kill, of 10000 acres; the Allegheny. !
OF 10000 acres, and the Palisades |
Interstate Park, $4,000 acres, in New I
York; the Northern Forest Park, in !
Wisconsin, of $4,000 acres, and Itasca !
Lake State Park, in Minnesota, inclos. |
ing the sources of the Mississippi. of |
b 900 acres.
New York leads the States in the !
number of preserves allied under a !
central State agency. the council of
parks, with a total of 80: Michigan
has 56 State parks; Texas. 80; Iowa. !
S6; Minnesota, is: Washington, IL |
pennsylvania leads in State forests, |
all OF which serve for varied outdoor /
recreation, with a total of l,131 900 !
acres. Several Rocky Mountain and |;
Pacific coast States have lately |
acquired large State forests with !
great actual and potential recreation /
al values by exchange of school sec J
tlons for national forest tracts
Famous Dunes Preserved. .
Among the notable additions to
the more than 500 State parks
throughout the country during The
past year are the preservation of !
part of the famous Indiana dunes, on
Lake Michigan, as an Indiana State
park; conservation Of the forest sur
roundings of the great stone face of
HaWthorne's tale. the marvellous pro
file in Fra 11pnnia Notch !
Hampshire State forest: establish i
ment of entirely new State park sys-
TENS in Missouri and Kentucky; ac-
QUESTION of Tongue Mountain. be- |
tween the arms of Lake George in
New York, as part of the State for
est preserve; and of notable caves
and gorges in southeastern Ohio by
the State forestry department. His
tOric sites, which are preserved in
many State parks. have been in
creased by such additions as Fort
Macon, in North Carolina old French |
and early American forts in Alabama,
and memorials of frontier days in
North Dakota.
State parks and forests give an in
termediate recreational resource be-
tween the city park, near at hand but
limited, by its nature, in development
and the magnificent national parks
0l lIlc w SSl, uIlSll )dSSeu III
ton, but remote from many people,
State preserves give spaces for camp
ing, picnfcking, hiking, climbing,
bathing, boating. hunting, fishing,
Winter sports nature study, within q
few hours of large populations, often
near immense metropolitan centers,
to which they are a great contributor
TO human happiness. AS overnight
stopping places for motor tourists
along the great tranScontfnental
highways of the country, in which
one may find some new delight every
evening. they are realizing the slogan
of the national conference on State
parks-'A State park every hundred
miles They are breathing spaces for
congested industrial districts, sane
tuaries for birds and animals and
trees and flowers, fields for the study |
of nature unadorned, shrines of his
tory and patriotism and outlets for
the pioneer spirit of adventure and
outdoor life"