The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-05-07
HOOSIER SPEAKS
AT PARK MEETING
Delegates at National SEES
sion Hear Conservation
Official.
BY EDWIN F. O'NEEL.
Times STAFF Correspondent

CLIFTY FALLS STATE PARK,
MADISON, Ind, May Intensive
development of existing state parks
and establishment of larger park
areas. was urged here today by DR..
Stanley Coulter, Indiana conserva-
ton chairman, at the opening of
the ninth annual national confer
ence on state parks. About 1856
American conservation leaders are
attending the conference.
DR.. Coulter pointed out the need
for forests where small game and
bird life would find sanctuary, where
forestry may be practiced, and
where both creature comforts of
civilization and wilderness camp
life are possible"
"All except three of the nine state
parks are mighty developed as re-
CARDS modern hotel service, service
areas. marked foot-trails and some
are equipped with modern swim
ming pools. Yet the combined 8,lOO
acres already are crowded to Ca
pacity," DR.. Coulter said.
The commission chairman said
that nearly 1000 900 persons visited
parks and preserves last year.
Expansion of the state road SyS-
| tenn and increase in automobile reg
istration means these parks will be-
come badly congested and further
inadequate to provide that outdoor
| recreation demanded by large
number each year seeking the inti-
mate touch of nature.
Camp Life Popular
There is a growing desire Tor
camp life on the reservations and
many actually want to rough it. The
future undoubtedly must see Great
ed larger reservations reclaimed
| from waste regions, to in a greater
measure remain as near primitive
as it is possible to keep them, IN
order to satisfy this latest recrea-
tional demand"
The last legislature authorized
expenditure of 100000 annually to
purchase waste and abandoned land
for conversion into a public state. "
With development of the vaca-
/ ton habit. there has come to very
many longing for the wild, even for
wilderness conditions. To them our
parks seem too comfortable, too So
I
portunity to rough it, to live in
tents, to cook their own meals. to
get entirely away from the ordinary
routine of life. 1t is amazing how
rapidly this longing for the back
| ground of the world has developed.
Hence we find another large por-
| ton of our people making demands
which our parks do not satisfy.
Large Are~ Available
Indiana has 100000 acres of
waste and wasting land. Stripped
hillsides denuded almost to bare
rock. abandoned farms where the
| inhospitable soil gives constantly
diminishing returns to farmers, cut
over and burned over forest land
and 'strip-mining' areas. No COM
monwealth. however prosperous, can
long afford such a large area of
wasting land.
In creating its public estate, In
diana should deal in large areas
only. such as 10000 to $4,000 acre
tracts. These lands should be ac-
CURED in waste and inaccessible re-
gions. where they can be purchased
cheaply They should be protected
from fire. grazing and looting. and
in a remarkably short time nature
will remove civilizations scars and
they again bloom forth in primitive
glory. In such parks is the solution
of providing recreation for the
masses: likewise, simultaneously
creating economic gain for the state
OF inestimable value" he said.
Existing state parks should be
even more improved. DR.. Coulter
contended, as they are meeting the
needs of thousands in a way moth
ing else less well equipped will do.