TRAlIS.PAGIFIG TUMBER GOMPA]IY Forest Service tVill Fight National Park

Extensions in California

"The Forest Service rvill fight any proposed extension of national parks in California that will lock up national forest resources vital to the welfare and prosperity of the people and the State," said Regional Forester S. B. Show, Chief of the California Region, U. S. Forest Service. This applies to the proposed Kings Canyon National Park and any other nerv parks u'hich under National Park Service policy tvould be ,permanently closed to all economic use and developrnent and managed solely for special classes of recreation.

"California," said Mr. Shorv, "already has more national parks and monuments than any other State in the Union-a total of four parks and eight monuments that cover 4,000,000 acres, an area greater than the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island, and include the outstanding scenic and natnral wonders of the State. In addition, California also has more than 70 State parks and monuments. These areas are all permanently closed to economic use of their resources and are managed solely for recreation. This is surely an adequate reservation for park and recreational purposes out of a region containing such a wealth of natural resources that are vital to the u'elfare and prosperity of the people of California.

"The Forest Service, long acknowledged as the outstanding conservation agency of the Federal Government, challenges the implications that the Kings River area is not fully pro,tected for the best public interests," said Regional Forester Shorv. "The K,ings River basin and its resources are not threatened by destruction ancl lvasteful exploitation. They already belong to the people of California and the Nation. This area was incorDorated into the na- tional forest system as {ar back as 1893, and {or 45 years has been under the protection of the Forest Service. In 1931 the wildest and most rugged parts of these mountains were set aside as the High Sierra Wilderness, to be held perpetually in a primitive condition and safeguarded against the intrusion of roads, resorts, hotels and other forms of commercialized recreation. Realizing the importance of the Kings River basin for irrigation lvater, power developtnent and public recreation, the Forest Service in 1935 secured several key tracts of privately ou'ned land in the South F'ork Canyon. In addition, the Hume I-ake area of 21 ,413 acres, adjacent to Kings River and an integral part of the wdtershed, was purchasecl for outdoor recreation and the preservation of Bigtree groves. The total amount spent by the Forest Service in acquiring these lands was $423,535. Thrrs, the people already own a well-consolidated land rrnit tl-rat is amply guarded against all uses detrimental to the public ir-rterest. and open to all uses that are to the best public welfare.

"The proposal to create a 400,0@ acre national park out of national forest land on the Middle and South Forks of Kings River is not a new one. Although there has never been a popular clemand for this park, several such bills hale been introducecl in Congress, largely at the request of the Department of the Interior, during the past 20 years. Many studies of the situation have been made and the resorlrce relationship between the mountains and the valley areas clearly definecl. The conclusions reached have always been adverse to the creation of a park in this region.

'(ps11r p€o,ple realize that Kings River is the main (Continued on Page 30)