Evening star., 1937-06-17
TREE SLAUGHTER
! IND. c. DEP[0RED
Miss James Hits Denuding
of Wooded Areas for
Building Projects.

Washington has lost a large num-
Der Of potential parks because trees
have been cut indiscriminately, Miss
Harlean James, executive secretary
OF the American Planning and Civic
Association, declared today in issuing
a plea to real estate developers to
preserve as far as possible the re-
naming natural beauties Of the city.
Public-spirited citizens are calling
attention to the "Wanton destruc-
ton of wooded areas in the District
in order to make way for row-house
and other developments. Miss James
points out that the city has heritage
Of wealth in its trees and they should
not be destroyed without good reason.
THE value in comfort to its citi-
zens and visitors. in beauty of the
National Capital and in actual money
which Washington derives from its
trees can hardly be overestimated,"
Miss James declared today. The site
Of the Federal City as selected by
George Washington on the banks of
the Potomac offered natural ad-
vantages in its water frontage, in its
gracious hills and extensive forests.
"How would the Capital appear to-
day II the heights which L'Enfant
described really as pedestal waiting
for a superstructure' had been graded
and leveled as the hills along Upper
Connecticut avenue were graded,
leveled and denuded few years ago?
1t was the unjustifable destruction
OF the native forests, the reducing of
the hills and valleys to uninteresting
planes of clay and the damage to
the many trlckling streams of water
IN the District OF Columbia that
prompted many of us some IS years
ago to work for a National Capital
Park and Planning Commission which
would save in public ownership the
remaining stream valleys with their
wooded banks and the forested hills
which were suitable for parks.
Slow Realizing 1901 Plan.
"The park plan OF 1901 had pro-
posed the acquisition OF some 81
areas for parks. In 1924, % years
later, only six OF these had been
acquired, and many of them were
lost forever as public parks because
the trees had been cut and the
streams either turned into under
ground drains or depleted in flow
and ruined in appearance New.
thanks to the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. the park
plan, revamped to meet existing con-
dltlons, is being realized, and Wash
ington may expect in due time to
possess a frame of parks and park
ways seldom seen in the cities of
this or other countries.
But in the use of private property
~e have not done so well. 1t is true
that IN some of the suburbs which
have been laid out a considerabl
effort TO save the natural contours
and the covering trees has been made,
and in these residence neighborhoods
homes and surrounding yards are in
demand and in most instances COM
mand a premium in the price which
purchasers will pay.
1t may be that those who proceed
with steam snovels to spread ruina-
ton and destruction over land which
IS to be used for the building Of
homes may believe that after the
construction is over they can plant
new trees and shrubs that will soon
replace the beauty they have lost.
But, unfortunately this is not the
case, Taking so years as the life
time OF a house land many do not
remain in Use that long,, the house
will be old and shabby if not alto
eether dllapidated before fine. old
shade trees of truly impressive size
can be grown. Whereas 50 and 100
year old trees which now exist can.