Show ast conference r j tr people atoa y i 0 o 11 now seems a national necessity promising the greatest results b JOHH NATIONAL conference on parka the first in our history wag called december 1 last or the second week in january 1021 in des the suggestion came from john barton payne secretary 0 the interior and ex head of the national park service gov W L of iowa Is sued the call the conference was called because as secretary payne says it seems a national necessity it was called to meet in des because iowa has become a leader among the states in park spirit and work more than 8 invitations have been sent out to and organizations known to be actively interested and governor also announced that the was not limited to persons specifically invited for everybody interested in the park movement would be welcome the conference will discuss matters of all kinds pertaining to national state and local parks President elect was in denver march 10 last long before the chicago convention and cald among other things in an address before the mile high club 1 I like the slogan see america first in these days of the motorcar we might revise it and say motor in america first this Is the automobile age all america Is motoring and leaving a golden trail behind I 1 want the golden trail in the united states and the education and pride in the country which attend W e are so vast BO varied so physically beyond compare that it Is good to think of america first and know america first and do the practical things which prosper america first 1 I shall never be content until I 1 can motor from washington to denver in comfort and from this gatewo motor safely and over a circuit of our national parks and know the inspiration and rejoicings rejo icings that ever must attend tl Is Is the kei note of the des confer enie but the slogan of the conference goes still farther and declares it should be made possible for a citizen of the united states to travel in his automobile from the atlantic to the pacific and camp every night on public ground fitted up for his comfort national municipal and local parks 1 I have observed that from time to time says secretary payne in his letter of suggestion to governor suggestions are made for the creation of national parks out of scenic areas that for definite reasons should be taken up by alie states themselves and there are undoubtedly many parks suggested to the state park authorities that should be taken up by counties and municipalities recently there has been a widespread desire on the part of state park authorities to confer among es and with the national park sen ice not alone en this question but regarding the possibility of securing uniform state park legislation throughout the country and the discussion of park problems pro bems in general the requests for such a conference have become so insistent that it now seems a national necessity promising the greatest results to the and the states they represent secretary payne suggested des as a meeting place for the conference because of the extraordinary results in the field of state park creation and development achieved by the state of iowa under its public park act from which the delegates can learn much governor invitation to the conference contains the following co operating with the honorable john carton payne of the interior and in recognition of the importance of the public park movement throughout the united states the governor of iowa has the honor to invite you to a national conference on parks to be held in des january 10 1112 inclusive 1021 A program will be presented of addresses and discussions by eminent leaders upon the necessity of the establishment and maintenance of national state and local parks upon legislation administration and use of parks upon harmonizing and coordinating co these and upon all allied subjects the truth of alie Is that what amny be called the national park movement haa grown so big that it must be organized regulated and standardized that Is what Is to be read between the lines of secretary laynea letter the nationwide national park movement Is one of the alvest national causes of today its success and its increasing influence have created an enthusiasm throughout the country tor parks of all national state and local there are for example more than a score of national park projects washington lias three including the takama valley iowa and wisconsin ak the establishment of mississippi alley hn park indiana illinois and michigan want n national park in the dunes at the head of lake michigan kentucky proposes that congress pur ri io y T s S i f ii w i t yf x y A n vt ir chaab mammoth rons and so on are hr I 1 r a park projects I 1 tie it Is the same dy cef thing with park projects ot which there Is no end illinois for example has just finish ed through a semi official and Ss non political commission a scenic survey of the state it fords much state park material and much that Is mere properly local A scenic survey of all the states made by the general federation of clubs shows areas suitable for national state and local parks the conference will wrestle with this embarrassment of riches it Is hoped and expected that out of its deliberations will come a classification and standardization of park areas and a draft of a standard state park law which can be amended by the several states to suit local conditions achen senator declared all america Is motoring and leaving a golden trail behind he said something as the tongue of the day has it the official national parks attendance figures for 1920 give a hint of this motor travel in 1010 were visitors to the national parks and probably a large majority of them went by railroad in iff O there were visitors and more than 65 per cent of them were traveling in their own cars in 1917 private cars were recorded to the number of last season these cars bore the license plates of every state in the union all conference broadh lead to des because it Is the capital of a state that has the real park spirit and Is doing things the right way the thirty seventh general assembly created a state board of conservation the thirty eight assembly endowed this board with n year and other wise empowered it the members of this board who bene without pay are dr L 11 bammel amas chairman joseph kelso bellevue john F ford fort dodge and edgar it harlan des the iowa state park law Is a working instrument the state board of conservation with the written consent of the executive council has the to establish public parks in all suitable places and to improve them and make them accessible ces sible from highway the board has power to purchase or condemn lands for both park and highway purposes secretary II arlan who Is curator of the state delivered an eloquent ad dress july 24 1919 before the des ro tarpons the state has published it with the title iowa law policy and proceedings upon a tern of public ate parks and reservations in iowa davs mr II arlan it Is but a short spin from prairie lands to fairy lands he goes u on to numerate some of the beauty spots and places of historic and scientific interest in a country of farming land worth up to TOO ah acre but he sav vou cannot go swimming boating fishing camping nor play ball unless in cities without after sketching the situation from the viewpoints of both and owner he says in pirt thise conflicting truths respecting these inharmonious interests the state set out to open acquire and preserve some of these areas due compensation shall be made to private owners appropriate provision will be made that the healthful may resort to the open air with safety without contempt of fellow citizens and with full self respect areas unique for scenery will be acquired those embracing objects and materials useful or interesting in scientific study will be resen ed grounds will be bought whereon occurred important scenes in early and recent social life where prehistoric works exist where lie the ashes of our great where shafts that speak of all these facts should stand shore lines of lakes and rivers reservoirs steeps and slopes de forested in early days will be secured some will be replanted in with useful and attractive trees small ld areas on streams in shade will be proved pd where families touring may camp overnight and rise in alie morning without passing cars having filled with dust their bed and all this in time to come Is the states objective chairman who Is i member of the anc alty of iowa state colage reports eliat in alip two years of the boards existence it has secured 14 S y A A tracts for state parks public spirited aae assisted the board in the purchase by over A score or more of areas are under con it Is the hope of the board to ahne at least one park in each of the 09 counties of the stat popular opinion Is strong for the law grand lew pictured herewith Is a scene in one of the prospective parks it ches a hint of sir carians Ha rians fairy lands with which the eye state Is abundantly blessed this delightful scenic area la near decorah county the deliberations and action of this first national conference on parks should interest the whole country it Is expected that both secretary payne and mather of the national park service will attend no program has been announced at this writing but the call Is broad enough to lu elude all phases of the park movement 0 which the following national park features are atti acting public attention assaults of commercial interests on the national parks under the new water power act and necessity of amendment to exempt national parks grand canon scene pictured herewith Is at the west end of the national park where there are waterfalls application for power permit has been filed here as in yosemite and sequoia irrigation reservoir right of way bill already passed by renate covering falls allver basin la yellowstone lellow stone yat lonal park and the entering for many othea irrigation projects in this and othir parks diversion of water as proposed would spoil the yellowstone falls the crowning glory or yellowstone gorge readjustment of national park appropriations example roky mountain rational park with last summer had bellow stone with had yosemite with had mount with WU had glacier with ind thu blocky mountain with more th in the other four parka combined had an appropriation of as against with an offset 0 about in revenues produced on the ansi of the 1922 fiscal year estl mites the discrimination against blocky mountain will be still more in irked net summer as it will have but PS 1 colorado will turn over to ahr national park net season the 1 all aher roid over the continental divide taft mountain rational park it has han un der construction by the state during tl list seen sears at n cost of approximately it Is the crowning touch of a mile I 1 r highway circuit from denver which clohe to be the most magnificently scenic on tourist and the national airth its importance to the pirk cannot be tie oldest part of the fall river road shown Is in deplorable condition it Is alint it should not be put in early next seison se ison and the cost of reconstruction will awe to come ont of the rocky mountain park app opra alon the public campaign of the agricultural 1 I part service to wrest control of ment and the forest the national parks from the interior and heir exploitation of the national forest abid for lumbering and grazing as of alie national parks i federal support of the at lonal park to bark highway on automobile circuit of miles on the principal national parks of all and from state parka and local parks of thew ork to california offer a if at and import int topics s ert d in the f of the iowa plan c this centuries we have in just TUB daml in arched across it and it oars old dass ade gone the time has come ial wu glie to the ways we amt aws of thap a can get from it the most good nation w lilo of a Is alie cre illon and state aad 1011 8 stem of public parks 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