Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-16
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
URGES 6D-4O PLAN
Executive Board Comments
2'sss....vn to System Pending
Permanent Basis.

Creating an innovation in its "a
years of life, the executive board of
the American Civic Association at its
annual meeting Yesterday in the
Union Trust Building. Fifteenth and
H streets. commended the effort to
IRE establish the provisions of the
substantive law which provides that
so per cent of annual appropria tions
should be met from the taxes of the
District of Columbia and 40 per cent
be furnished by the Federal Govern
ment" until some qualified commits
sion shall have recommended a more
equitable basis"
DevotinG the greatest part OF its
time to Washington, the board went
on record as supporting a Federal
park along the Potomac River from
the Key Bridge to and including Great
Falls and opposing any development
of power along the Potomac River.
either private or public which will
interfere in any way with preserva-
tion of this area as public park
The board also Endorsed the proposed
$4,000. 200 Treasury advance to eX-
tend WashinGton's park system. and
supported the Shipstead bill. designed
to control the erection of private
buildings in the vicinity of parks and
public buildings.
The board commen ded again the
effort to stablish the Shenandoah Ma
tional Park in Virginia and the Great
Smoky National Park in North Caro-
lima and Tennessee and emphatically
reaffirmed its stand in opposition to
the elimination of the Rechler Mead
ows from the southwest corner of
Yellowstone National Park. It like
wise urged that the planting and AIDE
ouate maintenance of properly So.
lected trees along the highways of
the nation be advanced and the re.
tention of suitable trees on city
streets and country highways.
Present at Meeting.
Present at the board meeting were:
Frederic A. Delano of Washington,
the associations president and chair
man of the Washington Committee of
One Hundred on the Federal City. as
we'll as a member of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion and chairman of the advisory
council for the National Arboretum;
j. Horace Mcfarland of Harrisburg,
Pa: Col. Samuel r. Wetherill of Phila-
delphia. Mrs. Edward w. Biddle of
Philadelphia. Warren II. Manning of
Boston. Fl. A. Caparn of New York.
Electus ID. Litchfield Of New York.
Or. John Nolen of Cambridge. Mass.
Chauncey ]. Hamlin of Buffalo. n. Y.
and these Nashingtonians: DIR. John
NJ. Cries. DIR. John C. Merriam. Miss
Harlean James. secretary, and Mrs.
Albert Lee Thurman, associate Sec
rotary.
These resolutions were adopted on
the various subjects under considera.
ton:
In line with the earnest and per-
elstent efforts which brought about in
1915 the creation of the National Park
Service in the Department of the In
terror to the end of building up an
adequate national park system, we
favor such boundary changes in ex-
listing national parks. such elimina-
lions and such additions of national |
parks as will produce a national park |
system composed of areas of con. |
siderable magnitude distinguished by |
scenic attractions and natural won
ders and beauties, distinctly national |
In interest to be held inviolate and |
protected jealousy and completely |
from all outside utilitarian and COM |
mercial uses. We reaffirm our opin- !
ION that all changes in the national |
parks should be made in accordance |
with these stated ideals. The increas- |
ing proportion of our people who an. |
preciatively use the national parks. in |
conjunction with our rapidly growing |
population. points to the vital impor- |
lance of the completest protection of |
these precious areas by such natural |
boundaries as will preserve them un- |
spoiled.
Commend Shenandoah Project.
I've again commend the effort to |
establish the Shenandoah National |
Park and the Great Smoky National |
Park in the East. believing the many |
millions living near these parks de. |
serve access to their unspoiled natural
beauties.
We are strongly opposing the elimi-
nation of the Bechler Meadows from
the southwest corner of the Yellow.
stone National Park on the ground
that the elimination is not proposed
Tor the benefit of the people as a whole
or the welfare of the park. but for
the doubtful commercial benefit of the
local farmers in two counties OF Il
Idaho. and on the further ground that
any such precedent as the elimination
of land from the national parks for
the advantage of the few will unques-
tionably lead TO the ultimate destruc-
ton of the system go
I'VE heartily indorse the McNary.
Woodruff bill with it's ten.year pro.
gram of forest acquisition in the East.
which in amended form was passed
by both House and Senate in the
Sixty Congress but which failed
TO become a law and express the
hone that tho measure will speedily