Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-13
Drury Hits Demand
For Commercial Use
OF Park Resources


ests were blamed by National
Parks Director Newton B. Drury
today for a constantly growing
demand for commercial utilization
of resources" that is endangering
the future Of the national parks
program.
The charge was made public by
Interior Secretary Chapman, who
embodied the directors review of
the park service in his own an
nual report to President Truman.
Mr.. Drury noted IAN increasing
number of instances" wherein dam
and water control projects of the
Army Corps of Engineers and In !
terior's own Reclamation Bureau
conf1icted with what park conser-
vationists believe to be the best
interests of the park system. Mr..
Drury and other conservation
leaders have clashed repeatedly
with these two Federal agencies
in recent years.
Resignation Asked.
Charges involving both agencies,
especially in connection with the
exploitation of Dinosaur National
Park in Utah and Colorado, were
aired by conservationists last
week. in protesting that Mr..
Drury was being forced out of
Office. Later the park director ad-
mitted Secretary Chapman had
asked for his resignation. Mr..
Drury is leaving April l and will
be succeeded by Associate Direc-
tor A. E. Demaray.
The situation was somewhat
eased by the Secretary's annual
report, in which Mr.. Chapman re-
affirmed the established policy as
to the integrity of the parks. \ |
In his own report to the Secre-
tary, the retiring director declared
the major problem of the service
is to protect the parks. natural
resources.
A new kind of demand for the
recreational use of water has
arisen, Mr. Drury points out and
within certain limits, this is a
growing policy of the National
Park Service. He took exception,
however, to the theory that dam
or reservoir construction will "im-
prove" a park for recreation or
that some other area "just as
~oolD con Ioo e,,hct;t,,taJ foy am
which conservationists wish to
protect.
No Satisfactory Substitute.
The Park Service fully appre-
ciates the value of water recrea-
ton, he said, "but it is not ready
to admit that an artificial
body of water is ever satisfac-
tory substitute for a natural scene
go extraordinary or unique as to
be deserving of national park
status"
Both Mr.. Chapman and the
park director cited a Reclamation
Bureau proposal to construct dams
ct Echo Park and Split Mountain
In Dinosaur National Park. De-
spite strong disapproval by the
Park Service and conservationists
the dams were recommended to
Congress by Mr.. Chapman.
The Interior Secretary said his
decision was Justified" in view
of the circumstances. He ex-
planned, that, if Congress author
ICES the projects. extraordinary |
efforts will be exercised so that
the pristine beauty of this area
will be preserved"
Visitors to national park areas
during the travel year totaled 3d.
846,180, exceeding the previous
year by more than 2 million, Mr.. |
Drury reported.
In his annual report Secretary
Chapman said careful and bold |
action" is needed to provide iron
ore for continued and expanded
steel production.
Our rich iron ore is seriously
depleted" he stated.
At VIC odIlle tIIlIe lie CdlleQ LOT
rejection Of "the kind of conserva-
ton that consists of unsound and
unnecessary boarding"
Mr.. Chapman deplored the
wasting of soils by mining with
out rebuilding the fertility of the
land, or by leaving it open to the
wind and rain.
The report stressed the impor-
lance Of water power develop
ment as conservation measure.
approximately 300 million bar
rels of irreplaceable oil would be