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Show Forest, Facilities Gain Aid By Proposed Bill Sen. Arthur V. Watkins (R-Utah) (R-Utah) announced Saturday that he had introduced in the Senate a bill to set aside 10 per cent of all money received from the national forests to provide public pub-lic recreational facilities, protect wild life, and improve safety in the forests. Senator Watkins said he felt his bill was in accord with the strict economies requested by the new national administration. "The money is already earned by the forests. This merely is a matter of directing it into a more useful channel," lie added. Senator Watkins pointed out that national forest recreation areas in Utah were visited by more than 165,000 people in 1952. Also visiting the forests during the year were 95.000 fishermen, and 90,000 big game hunters. Most of the recreational areas in manv of the states were installed in-stalled by CCC and WPA workers work-ers in the 1930s. Senator Watkins Wat-kins said. "Most of these areas are breaking down from constant con-stant usp and inadequate funds for repairs and improvements." he added. The bill would set a ceiling of $5,500,000 as the total amount that could be appropriated in any fiscal year from the forest earnings and would prohibit use of it for the purchase nf land. Principal speaker will be a National Na-tional Vice Commander of the Legion, William Ralph Bourdon. A prominent Arizona cattleman, Mr. Bourdon represents Legionnaires Legion-naires in the 11 western states. He is a past commander of the Arizona Department of the Legion, Le-gion, a state legislator and a past Republican party chairman for Arizona. During World War I he served in France with a machine gun outfit. His heroic efforts won him the coveted Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He re entered active service at the out -break of World War II and saw service in Australia, New Guinea and Leyte. |