The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-06-04
MANY STATES HAVE
ACQUIRED NEW PARKS
New Areas Invite Vacation
lists This Summer.

major recreation resources OF the
United States and a survey just COM
pleted shows that new areas invite
the vacationist this summer" says a
bulletin from the Washington Cd. CO
headquarters of the National Geo
graphic society.
1.-The sixth national conference on
state parks at Hot Springs, Ark, June
14-16, will hear reports showing that
during the short life time of this or
ganization, formed in 1921, which CO.
ordinates the advance of such pre-
serves, the number of states main
tanning state parks has doubled. The
survey shows that 43 of the 4S states
now have state parks, state forests
with more or less recreational use, or
other preserves under state agencies
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 acquisition,
which has been made during the last
few years by the states of the South
and Southwest.
South Joins in Progress.
"When the conference is called to
order by Chairman John Barton
Payne, who is chairman of the Ameri-
can Red Cross, he will greet many
new faces among the delegates, repre-
sentatives of southern and southwest
ern states which have lately entered
this field of public service. When the
honor roll of the states is called, ON
the second day of the meeting, the re-
cent achievements of southern states
will be an interesting feature, because
gains in the South have been especial
ly notable
"Since the last conference, Tennes-
see and Virginia have created conser-
walton commissions with state powers,
Florida has passed a state park law,
Georgia and Mississippi have created
forestry departments with recreation
al provisions, Alabama has acquired a
state park committee, Louisiana will
servation commission. Arkansas is
acquiring comprehensive 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 81
state park sites received by gift, is
improving them for public recreation.
"Some state parks rival national
parks in size and scenic beauty; Adj
rondack park in New York, with $780,
600 acres owned by the state, is ex-
ceeded only by Yellowstone; Custer
State park, in South Dakota, Of 107,-
600 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 In
terstate park, $4,000 acres, in New
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
$4,000 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 Sc state parks; Texas, So; Iowa,
So; Minnesota, 18; Washington, II.
Pennsylvania leads in state forests, all
of which serve for varied outdoor rec
reation, with total of 1,131, 600 acres.
Several Rocky mountain and Pacific
coast states have lately acquired large
state forests with great actual and po-
tential recreation values by .ex-
change of school sections for national
forest tracts.
Notable Additions.
Among the notable additions to the
more than five hundred 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 i;
conservation of the forest surround
ings of the Great Stone Face, of
Hawthorne's tale, the marvellous pro-
file in Franconia Notch, as a New
Hampshire State forest, establishment
I
of entirely new state park systems in
Missouri and Kentucky; acquisition
of Tongue mountain, between the arms
of Lake George in New York, as part
of the state forest preserve; and of
notable caves and gorges in southeast
ern Ohio by the state forestry depart
ment. Historic sites, which are pre-
served in many state parks, have been
increased by recent additions.
estate parks and forests give an in
termediate recreatienal resource be-
tween the city park, near at hand but
limited, by it's nature, in development,
and the magnificent national parks of
the West unsurpassed in attraction.
but remote from many people. State
preserves give spaces for camping
picnicking, hiking, climbing, bathing
boating, hunting, fishing, winter sports
nature study, within a few hours of
large populations, often near immense
l.. I'll