Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
FIGHT FOR PARKS
BY WOMEN URGED
Federation Leader Attacks
Proposed Conversion of
Yellowstone.

Expressing opposition to reduction in
area Of any existing national parks,
the General Federation of Women's
Clubs last night called on the women of
the Nation to fight the proposed CONVEX
sion of Bechler Meadows, in Yellow
stone National Park, into an irrigation
reservoir for private interests.
The appeal of commercial interests
that Bechler Meadows, the southwest
corner of the park, be set aside for
irrigation purposes, will be considered
by the Presidents boundary commits
sion at a hearing February 3, in the
Interior Department Building.
If this concession is made, it was de-
clared by Mrs. Charles c. Marshall,
chairman of the forestry and natural
scenery division of the federation,
other groups will be encouraged to make
further demands for commercial pur-
poses.
Made Personal Inspection.
Mrs. Marshall made a personal in
spectiOn of Bechler Meadows. In OPP
posing the proposed flooding of the
meadows, she said:
1.-The meadows have beauty all their
own. The vast stretches of grass-cov-
cred level land form an attractive foil
for the surrounding majestic mountains.
If these meadows were flooded the loss
to the people of the United States would
be incalculable. In the first place, any
encroachment on the park would
eventually prove disastrous, as it would
establish an unwise precedent; 1t would
eliminate the entrance to the Bechler
River Canyon, as a reservoir here would
back the water up about 2 miles into
the canyon. 1t would kill all the trees,
many of which are pine and spruce.
Big Timbered Area.
William C. Gregg, who spent much
time IN this section, has estimated that
in the Bechler Basin there are 100000
600 feet of standing timber and that
the proposed reservoir would practically
rob the park of IL square miles.
Last Summer 100000 people visited
the park, and venture to predict that
within 10 years the number will reach
a million. Air travel alone will add
thousands. 1t is, therefore, reasonable
to expect that all available space will
ultimately be needed.
81 would not have believed it possible
that any group OF American people
could be so blinded by self-interest as
to describe this marvellous region as
having little scenic beauty If had not
seen, with my own eyes, man after man
up pe1OTS Ut1S 6OuI-
Diary Commission at Ashton, Idaho, and
insist that this part of the park be
handed over to them for their own use,
without any apparent consciousness -
the fact that they were asking for a
priceless treasure.
Wouldn't Accept Substitute.
at was useless to suggest that the
water could be obtained from other
sources: no, nothing would do but the
Bechler section of Yellowstone Park
All other sites were ridiculous or
impossible
"At the hearing was manifested a
spirit so insistent, so determined to get
what 1t wanted, that felt here was
force to be reckoned with.
'All American women of intelligence
should be personally interested in this
matter and militant in fighting to pre-
serve Yellowstone Park.
"A man who has been active for years
in park protection work, said to me re-
Gently, No man can measure the de-
struction to Yellowstone Park, as a
popular, national playground, which
may follow the first concession to irri-
CATION interests Another nationally
known conservationist writes me, The
territory Of the National Parks should
be held inviolate. No National Park
contains any territory that is such a
public eye-sore and nuisance that 1t
needs to be turned over to the ak, the
saw and the steam shovel"