Evening star., 1953-12-08
National Fight
On Route 24O
Shaping Up
Conservation and
Park Groups Plan to
Bulk Encrouchment

An intensive movement was
under way by park and conserva-
tion groups today to try to make
a national issue over contro-
versial proposals to extend a ma
jor roadway through Rock Creek
Park.
The conservation enthusiasts,
urging opposition to what they
consider unwarranted park en-
croachment. advocated taking
the fight against the highway
proposals to Capitol Hill and to
the Supreme Court, if necessary.
The campaign got it's boost at
a dinner in the Hotel Statler last
night, sponsored by the Natural
Resources Council of America,
composed of 80 conservation and
natural research groups. About
40 persons attended, including
council officials and Washington
area citizen leaders opposed to
the proposals.
The heart Of the controversy
is the Maryland Roads Commits
sion'S plan to build a belt high
way through a Maryland section
of Rock Greek Park and to build
a leg of U. S. Route 240 from the
belt road to the East-West high
way. The road-builders' inten-
tion is that the 240 leg should be
built later along the edge of the
District section of Rock Creek
Park to downtown Washington.
Attacked by Grant.
The proposals were attacked
in talks by Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant
III, former chairman of the Ma
tional Capital Planning Com
mission, and by Gerald P. Nye,
former United States Senator
and leader of the road battle
in nearby Maryland.
Samuel Ordway, council chair
man. said all member organiza-
tionS would be advised of the
arguments heard and told that
this is one of the major fights
for conservation"
c. r. Gutermuth, council ex-
ecutive secretary. said park en-
croachments by highway officials
should be fought wherever they
occur. He said the Rock Creek
situation deserves "as much con-
Germ" as encroachments on Yo-
semitic or Yellowstone Parks.
Tom Wallace, board chairman
of the National Conference on
State Parks, said there isn't a
city in the United States that
isn't threatened by the blunder-
buss efforts of a highway COM
mission. He called the Rock
Creek Park proposal IAN out
rage that is intolerable, imprac-
tical and ILLEGAL"
A veteran conservationist and
retired editor of the Louisville
Courier-Journal. Mr.. Wallace
read a statement from the
American Institute of Park
Executives saying that the "des-
ecration of Rock Greek by an
eXpressway would be a national
calamity"
Grant Sees Foot in Door,"
Mr.. Nye urged that protests
from the groups be sent to the
National Capital Planning Com
mission. where our case rests
at the present time" The PLAN
ners have given tentative ap-
proval to the park use for the
belt route.
Gen. Grant stressed a belief
that if the 240 leg is built as
far as the East West highway, it
woud be virtually impossible to
keep it out of the District part
of the park. He denied that lit
tie harm would be done the vast
park area. and urged that its
wilderness sections be preserved
along with others.
About 73 per cent of the Dis
trict Highway Departments pro-
posals, he said, are in agree
ment with the planning COM
missions master highway plan.
But he called for aid from
throughout the country in
battling the proposals to put
heavy traffic in Rock Greek Park.