I 29.44:941 1941 YEARBOOK PARK AND RECREATION PROGRESS Clemson University 1 1941 YEARBOOK PARK AND RECREATION PROGRESS UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON • 1941 FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. O, PRICE 40 CENTS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/1941yearbookpark00nati RARKS AND THE NATIONAL CHARACTER The importance of parks and recreation, in times of na- tional crisis, can scarcely be overstressed. The real first line of defense lies in the soul of a people, and is anchored deeply in the land. In times of stress men and women draw peace, understanding and strength from the hills, the forests, the waterways—places where quiet abounds. If there are any among us today, particularly among our young people, who have become so confused by tragic world events that they are beginning to doubt the demo- cratic way, let them go into our parks. There let them witness the wonders of nature at dawn, at high noon, at sunset, and in the twilight. Let them lose themselves awhile, and, forgetting man's inhumanity to man, slough off worries and cares. Let their carefree minds and open hearts learn to know, through contact with nature, their great country as it is portrayed in the parks—strong, beautiful and free. Surely then doubt, bewilderment and cynicism will give way to a deeper understanding and devotion to America and our democratic processes. The development of a strong national character is equally as important as is the building of ships, planes and guns. And the parks of our country are properly the training grounds for this phase of our national defense. Secretary of the Interior. Ill NTRODUCTION This fourth issue of the Yearbook is dedicated, like the others, to bringing together in one volume the current views of the leaders in the field of parks and recreation on whatever subjects they wish to present. If good knowledge is imparted and discussions grow out of what has been written, the book will have served its purpose well, and the people, through their Government, will have made another lasting contribution toward the protection and enjoyment of their country. Newton B. Drury, Director, National Park Service. 4 1ABLE OF CONTENTS Page Parks and the National Character Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior III Introduction .... Newton B. Drury, Director, National Park Service V The Year's Progress Fanning Hearon 1 A Newspaperman Looks at the Shenandoah National Park Earl Godwin 1 The National Recreation Report Herbert Evison 15 Recreation in the Desert George H. Hillis 19 Drainage Basin Planning . A. E. Demaray and George L. Collins 22 Wilderness Values Aldo Leopold 27 "Blitzkreig" Fire Fighting J. S. Barrows 29 The Virginia Natural History Institute Reynold E. Carlson 35 The Designer in National Parks Henry V. Hubbard 38 Wildlife and Reservoir Development Russell K. Grater 40 Parks and Waysides as Features of Roadside Development R. H. Baldock and S. H. Boardman 45 Parks and Recreation in the Philippines Louis Croft 48 Rehabilitation of City Boys Through Camping Experiences Alfred H. Wyman 50 Public Health Engineering in State Parks U. W. Hella 55 Confidence in the American Way Carl P. Russell 56 Historic House Restoration E. Milby Burton 60 Landscape Architecture in the Southwest .... Harvey H. Cornell 65 Landscape Planning for County Parks Chance S. Hill 68 Special Factors Involved in a Recreation Study for the Territory of Hawaii Joseph F. Kunesh 71 Cavern Exploration and Development William M. McGill 77 Organized Camp as Adjunct to the Public Schools . Willis A. Sutton 80 State Park Administrative Agencies 82 Current Bibliography Irmine B. Kennedy 84 Opinions expressed in articles contained in this Yearbook are those of the authors end are not necessarily concurred in by the Department of the Interior. VII VIII Th E YEAR'S PROGRESS Compiled by FANNING HEARON, Associate Recreational Planner, National Park Service Seventy-seven years ago the Congress of the United will show that, since 1933, when the "emergency" activities States, by the act of June 30, 1864, first gave official recog- of the Federal Government provided considerable man- nition to the need for public recreational facilities by grant- power and funds, the number of State parks in the country ing to the State of California the famed Yosemite Valley "to has increased from 816 to 1,527; that the acreage of these be held for public use, resort and recreation." Sixty-nine areas (exclusive of the Adirondack and Catskill parks years ago, in 1872, the Congress furthered this official recog- which comprise the New York State Forest Preserve) nition by passing the bill of Representative William Clagett has grown from 965,057 to 1,633,171; and that attendance of Montana for the establishment of Yellowstone National has increased from 61,297,000 in 1933 to 96,831,000 in Park, the first such area in the great system of today, and 1940. State expenditures, according to the report, have the world's first national park. climbed from $5,949,235 in 1933-34 to $7,858,313 in In the 77th year of the movement for the providing of 1938-39. public recreation areas on State properties and the 69th Most important Federal aid in the planning and develop- year of the movement for the provision of public recreation ment of State and local areas came from Civilian Conserva- areas on Federal property, there has been important prog- tion Corps and Emergency Relief appropriations. During ress. In the national field 1940 will be remembered as the the fiscal year from July 1939 through June 1940 National year in which 60 years of effort culminated in the establish- Park Service alone invested $6,512,933 cf CCC funds in ment of Kings Canyon National Park in California's High State, county and metropolitan areas in 44 States, Hawaii Sierras. Thus were fulfilled the long dreams of men like and the Virgin Islands. Included in these States are all John Muir, whose sensitive pen first gave the great Canyon except Connecticut, Delaware, Nebraska, and Nevada. In a national audience in Century magazine in 1891. Also 15 States the Service put $591,864 of CCC funds into fed- significant in 1940 was the creation of Isle Royale National erally owned recreational demonstration areas, and in 20 Park in the northern waters of Lake Superior. States this same type of area received $2,501,405 from In addition to these national parks, four other new areas emergency relief appropriations through National Park were established: Whitman National Monument in Wash- Service expenditures. CCC funds amounting to $3,542,566 ington, Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Monu- and ERA funds totaling $5,201,397 were invested by the ment in Virginia, Manassas National Battlefield Park in Park Service in the development of such Federal areas as Virginia, and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic national parks, national monuments, battlefield parks, Site in New York. These six new areas added approximately historical parks, historic sites, military parks, parkways and 737,000 acres to the national system under supervision of the recreational demonstration areas. the National Park Service. As these areas were brought These investments made through the National Park into the system several other projects neared consummation Service do not include the funds spent by the Army in main- and the boundaries of a number of existing areas were taining the CCC camps, nor funds expended by the Work adjusted to facilitate good administration and preserve Projects Administration in maintaining its work units lands of national park caliber. engaged on work programs supervised by the Park Service. In the field of Federal, State, and local cooperation in Totaling these three types of expenditures it seems that the planning and development of State and local parks and approximately $150,000,000 in Federal funds was invested recreation areas the year was marked by the completion of in National. State, and local areas in the fiscal year ending preliminary State-wide plans and programs of recreational June 30, 1940. facilities and needs in 8 more States, bringing the completed The National System total to 31. and the beginning of a regional study of such The Kings Canyon National Park mentioned earlier in facilities and needs in the South-Central States. Thus, this compilation of progress, is world famed as a superb high the effective cooperation of Federal, State, and local au- mountain wilderness. It is a wild region of massive peaks. thorities under the provisions of the Park, Parkway and glacial cirques and lake-dotted plateaus from 10,000 to Recreation Study Act of 1936 continued to be the major 14,000 feel above sea level, lis dominant features are the factor in the planning of recreational facilities on these State enormous canyons of the Middle and South forks of the and local areas. To report on this cooperative progress Kings River, whose walls rise on both sides from 3,000 to the National Park Service is publishing .1 Study of the 5,000 feel above the valley floors. The act of March 4, National Recreation Problem. This, the first publication of 1940, establishing the Kings Canyon National Park its kind, is covered in another article in this yearbook. abolished the General Granl National Park, and included This public accounting of what has been accomplished its 2,536 acres in the new park as the General (bant Grove Section. The same act authorized the President to add the Another outstanding site of the War between the States, Redwood Mountain area with its grove of big trees (Sequoia added during 1940, is the Manassas National Battlefield gigantea).