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- Calendar No. 607.

oy 2 CONGRESS, t SENATE. REPORT
1 Session. No. 676.

BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS.

Apri. 26, 1912.—Ordered to be printed.

,

Mr. Smoot, from the Committee on Public Lands, submitted the
following

REPORT.

[To accompany 8. 3463.]

The Committee on Public Lands, to which was referred the bill
(S. 3463) to establish a bureau of national parks, and for other pur-
poses, having given the same careful consideration, beg leave to recom-
mend the following amendments: }

On page 1, line 4, strike out the words ‘‘bureau of national parks”
and insert in lieu thereof the words *‘national park service.”

On page 1, line 7, strike out the word ‘“‘six’’ and insert in lieu
thereof the word ‘‘five.”’

On page 1, line 9, strike out the word ‘‘bureau”’ and insert the
words ‘‘service an engineer at a salary of three thousand dollars per
annum; an assistant attorney at a salary of three thousand dollars
per annum, and.”

On page 2, line 7, strike out the words “‘ bureau of national parks’”’
and insert in lieu thereof the words ‘‘national park service.”

On page 2, line 11, strike out the words *‘ bureau of national parks”’
and insert in lieu thereof the words ‘‘national park service.”

On page 2, line 19, after the word management, insert the word
ase.”

On page 3, line 22, strike out the word ‘‘bureau”’ and insert in
lieu thereof the word ‘‘service.”’

At the end of the bill add the following:

Sec. 6. That the parks, monuments, and reservations herein provided for shall not
at any time be used in any way contrary to the purpose thereof as agencies for pro-
moting public recreation and public health through the use and enjoyment by the
people of such parks, monuments, and reservations, and of the natural scenery and
objects of interest therein, or in any way detrimental to the value thereof for such
purpose.

Src. 7. That the publications of the national park service shall be published in
such editions as may be recommended by the Secretary of the Interior, but not to
exceed 10,000 copies for the first edition.

2 BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS.

Amend the title of the bill so as to read: ‘‘To establish a national
park service, and for other purposes.”

As thus amended, the committee recommends that the bill do pass.

The committee deemed it advisable to accept the recommendation
of the Secretary of the Interior that the name of the organization
should be the national park service instead of bureau of national
parks. This change was also urged by the American Civie Associa-
tion. By inserting the word ‘‘use”’ between the words ‘‘management”
and “care,” in line 19, page 2 of the bill, it is thought that the pur-
poses of section 4 of the bill will be made clearer. The proposed addi-
tional section, designated as section 6, was earnestly recommended
both by the Secretary of the Interior and by the American Civic Asso-
ciation. This section defines clearly and definitely the pa for
which the public parks shall be maintained and aims to prohibit any
uses which would be detrimental to these purposes. There is no pro-
vision in the pending bill for the publications of the proposed bureau,
and as the committee considers that the work of the bureau could be
made more useful if allowed to disseminate proper information regard-
ing the national parks, an amendment (sec. 7) making proper provision
for publications is recommended.

At the present time the administration of the national parks and
monuments is scattered through three departments of the Govern-
ment. It is the aim and object of the pending bill to bring the
administration of the various parks and monuments under one head,
thus substituting uniformity of law and administration for the
present disorganized condition. With a more effective administra-
tion of our national parks the pope of the country will realize their
value as recreation grounds and the number of visitors each year to
the parks will increase very materially. Very little inducement is
made to persons at the present time to visit our national parks, and
hence a great many people, who otherwise would, fail to visit the
parks.

In a special message to Congress February 3, 1911, President Taft
said:

I earnestly recommend the establishment of a bureau of national parks. Such
legislation is essential to the proper management of those wondrous manifestations of
nature, so startling and so beautiful that everyone recognizes the obligations of the
Government to preserve them for the edification and recreation of the people.

The Secretary of the Interior, in his last annual report, made the
following statement with regard to a bureau of national parks:

There are 12 national parks, embracing over 4,500,000 acres, which have been set apart
from time to time by Congress for the recreation of the people of the Nation. While
public interest in, and use of, these reservations is steadily increasing, as shown by the
growing number of visitors, adequate provision has not been made for their efficient
administration, and sufficient appropriations have not been made for their proper care
and development. At present each of these parks is a separate and distinct unit for
administrative purposes. The only general supervision which is possible is that ob-
tained by referring matters relating to the national parks to the same officials in the
office of the Secretary of the Interior. Separate appropriations are made for each park,
and the employment of a common supervising and directing force is impossible. Many
of the problems in park management are the same throughout all of the national parks,
and a great gain would be obtained and substantial economies could be effected if the
national parks and reservations were grouped together under a single administrative
bureau. Bills to create a bureau of national parks have heretofore been introduced
in Congress, and in my judgment they should immediately receive careful considera-
tion, so that proper legislation for this purpose may be enacted. Adequate appropria-

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AU ATIONAL PARKS. 3

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tion should fiso be made for the development of these pleasure grounds of the people,

especially through the construction of roads and trails and their proper care and main-

tenance. In several of the national parks there are large private holdings, which

should be acquired by the Government. i ;

The Secretary of the Interior appeared before the committee on
April 17, 1912, in support of the pending bill, and by letter, dated Feb-
ruary 6, 1912, to the chairman of the committee, he approved of the
legislation.

Following is a list of the national parks and reservations, together
with date of establishment of each, total acreage of each, and state-
ments concerning them made by the Secretary of the Interior:

NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVATIONS.

The policy of setting aside tracts of land in various sections of the United States as
pleasure grounds for the people was inaugurated by Congress by the act of March 1,
1872, in establishing the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and thereafter from
time to time other lands in various sections of the country were set aside for such
purpose and as a practical means of preserving the wonders of nature therein from
desecration. These reservations now aggregate 12 in number, embracing over
4,500,000 acres, to which should be added the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River,
with its awe-inspiring gorges, for the creation of which as a national park recommenda-
tions have heretofore been submitted.

The areas of these parks, with date of establishment of each, are as follows:

Acres,

Yellowstone, in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Mar. 1, 1872.........-- 2, 142, 720. 00
Mosemuce: in Calitormia Oct. 1, 1890. 2.622 0... Peers ee 719, 622. 00
Sequ@antaCaltormia Sept. 2o, 18900... 2.5222) 4 ee ee: 161, 597. 00
GeneralGrant in Calitormia- Oct, 1, 189082 4.5.2 See a ee 2, 536. 00
Mount maimler. in Washington, Mar. 2,'1899....... 22.22.) ese. 207, 360. 00
Srereg take 1m Oregon) May 22,1902 7... 3.02225. Bn Le ae 159, 360. 00
WaneCave: in South Dakota,| Jan. 9; 1903. ).2.-..25:¢f.4. seb et 10, 522. 00
Sillyanetill) im North, Dakota, Apr. 27; 1904... 2.002205 2c. Ses ee 780. 00
Piatt, in Oklahoma) /July 15,1902; Apr. 21, 1904... 22 2. byes 848. 22
Mera erde, in” Colorado: June 29, 19062. 2: oy). 32 Sons. oes. Po. lu ie 42, 376. 00
5-mile strip for protection of ruins, June 29, 1906 ................. 175, 360. 00
Hot Springs Reservation, in Arkansas, June 16, 1880.................- 911. 63
eecier in Montana: May) 11,1910 40 o 42 sya eo ee 981, 681. 00
TINE eee Gace pn RIM he RLS ad ae a a a RR lB eos bE 4, 606, 153. 85

Public interest in these national reservations, not only in this country, but abroad,
is constantly increasing, as is indicated by the number of visitors thereto. During
the past year the total number of visitors to all these parks aggregated approximately
224,000, as against 198,506 in 1910. There is every reason to believe that travel thereto
will be greatly augmented in the future, especially during 1915, when the Panama-
Pacific International Exposition will be held in San Francisco, and the various trans-
continental roads will doubtless provide a transportation rate calculated to induce
visitors to visit the various reservations as well as the exposition.

For the purpose of bringing together the superintendents of the various parks, and
discussing the many difficult problems presented in the administration of the affairs of
each, a conference was held, under my direction, in the Yellowstone National Park,
in September, 1911, at which there were in attendance in addition to myself, the
Assistant Secretary, the chief clerk, and other representatives of this department,
representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and War, the various transconti-
nental railroads, and of concessionaires in the several reservations. Many phases of
park administration were discussed, including hotel accommodations, public trans-
portation, construction of roads, trails and bridges, fire protection, forestry, protection
of game, and the enforcement of the park regulations generally, which, in the light of
the information acquired, will doubtless result in more effective administration than
it has heretofore been practicable to secure. The consensus of opinion, however, at
this conference was that development of the national reservations should proceed
along more liberal lines than has heretofore obtained, and that the supervision of the
activities of the various parks should be centralized in a bureau especially charged
with such work.

4 BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS.

There is hereto appended tables giving the location, date of establishment, area,
private holdings, if any, the number of visitors, and the special characteristics of the
various national parks under the supervision of the Secretary of the Interior; the appro-
priations made by Congress for the protection and improvements thereof during 1911
and for five years prior thereto, as well as the revenues derived from leases, privileges,
and concessions in said reservations received during the said period.

BIRD RESERVES.

One new reserve for the protection of native wild birds was created during the year,
to wit, the Clear Lake Reservation, in California, which was set aside by Executive
order of April. 11, 1911. A number of these reservations he within tracts reserved or
set aside for purposes other than the protection of birds, such as reclamation with-
drawals and naval reserves, but in all such cases the administration of the bird reser-
vation is made subject to the use of the reservation under the primary and more
important segregation. The reservations now existing, which are being administered
under the direction of the Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, are 52 in
number, a full table of which will be found in the appendix.

The first law of Congress providing for the protection of bird reserves was approved
June 28, 1906 (34 Stat., 536). This act made it unlawful to kill birds, to take their
eggs, or willfully disturb birds upon the reservation, and provides a fine not exceeding
$500 or imprisonment for not exceeding six months, or both fine and imprisonment
for each conviction secured. ‘This act was reenacted in the new penal code approved
March 4, 1909 (35 Stat., 1104), in the following language:

‘Sec. 84. Whoever shall hunt, capture, willfully disturb, or kill any bird of any
kind whatever, or take the eggs of any such bird, on any lands of the United States
which have been set apart or reserved as breeding grounds for birds, by any law,
proclamation, or Executive order, except under such rules and regulations as the Sec-
retary of Agriculture may from time to time prescribe, shall be fined not more than
five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.’’

NATIONAL MONUMENTS AND PRESERVATION OF AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.

By an act approved June 8, 1906, entitled ‘‘An act for the preservation of American
antiquities,’’ the President of the United States is authorized, ‘‘in his discretion, to
declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures,
and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands
owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monu-
ments.’’ Under such authority the President has created the following monuments:

National monuments administered by Interior Department.

Name. | State. Date. Area.

| Acres.
AD OW SHO Wiel isete a eee ae ete cle ea et ore ee | Wyoming..... Sept. 24, 1906 1,152
Montezuma: Castlect:) a. 28 O84 «5 Seen eae ee ee | Arizona......- Dec. 8, 1906 160
EL EMO ETO Rico ke en. See tee cee eee Cee eh | New Mexico...|..... do23::2eKe 160
Chaco Camy Onis. ceen ea eee ea eee eee ae eee jeeeaege Gos: 5-ao3- Mar. 11,1907 20, 629
NETHER WiOO SPR Sey esate sc etn coat iees Be hy aera California... .. Jan. 9,1908 295
Pinnacles eit MESS LORS see Be EE SER i yt gee eae COs SERRE Jan. 16,1908 22,080
AMUIMACACOL IM: Fears oy ey CU St Ry RELL Pe eee (Arizona. 2 eee Sept. 15, 1908 10
SERCO ee Re RS Et dinar ei epee: e [RS Ceres Mar. 20, 1909 +600
Mukuntuweap.....-. ste ein Premera NETS NSE wil dU tae Sree July 31,1909 215,840
Shoshone! Cavernssre case. fae teen eee ee ae ee Ne | Wyoming..... | Sept. 21, 1909 210
WaturaliBrid ges isa ye =) 22 os 2 ie ys itl eee a ae Witahel care | Sept. 25, 1909 22,740
Gera @ ULI aNs Uike Pas ele eee Regs cave te ay eed eg ee Tea New Mexico...| Nov. 1, 1909 | 2 160
SUG GIs 5 oc epee eis oets Sats nie oN ReneS Sh a ce GO ip Oi VCR grees ee | Mar. 23,1910 257
Rainbowe Bridge st \-se ae ane eet) TE eee Meee Witaheass see ee | May 30, 1910 160
ewistand:ClarkiGawermite. S55 5. 20 pee Gay OR a yr ed | Montana. .....- May 16,1911 | 160
@oloraldo fies. S528 822 se aN ko Re Colorado.....- May 24,1911 13, 883

Hetribedttonest (02: bootie as el snes ee eee eee | ;Amizona Stee | July 31,1911 25, 625

1 Donated to the United States.

2 Estimated area.

’ Within an Indian reservation.

* Based on 15 known ruins, with a reserved area of 40 acres surrounding each ruin. Exterior limits of
tract specified in proclamation contain 918,310 acres.

® Originally set aside by proclamation of Apr. 16, 1908, and contained only 120 acres.

BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS. 5

The following regulations for the protection of national monuments were promul-
-gated on November 19, 1910:

1. Fires are absolutely prohibited.

2. No firearms are allowed.

3. No fishing permitted.

4. Flowers, ferns, or shrubs must not be picked, nor may any damage be done to
the trees.

5. Vehicles and horses may be left only at the places designated for this purpose.

6. Lunches may be eaten only at the spots marked out for such use, and all refuse
and litter must be placed in the receptacles provided.

7. Pollution of the water in any manner is prohibited; it must be kept clean enough
for drinking purposes.

8. No drinking saloon or barroom will be permitted.

9. Persons rendering themselves obnoxious by disorderly conduct or bad behavior,
or who may violate any of the foregoing rules, will be summarily removed.

By proclamation of May 24, 1911, one new national monument under the depart-
ment has been created during the year, designated as the Colorado National Monu-
ment, Colorado. The lands embraced within this reservation are in part identical
with those included within the boundaries of the Monument National Park proposed
in H. R. 22549, introduced in the Sixty-first Congress, and which failed of passage.
The monument, however, contains nearly 5,000 acres of land less than the area pro-
posed to be segregated by the national-park bill. 3

In the case of the Lewisand Clark Cavern Monument, Montana, set aside by proclama-
tion of May 11, 1908, a new proclamation was issued on May 16, 1911, more specifically
defining the boundaries thereof.

The Pinnacles National Monument, alifornia, was set aside by proclamation dated
January 16, 1908, at which time it was under the supervision of the Secretary of Agri-
culture, being within a national forest. By proclamation dated December 12, 1910,
the lands on which this monument is located were eliminated from the national forest,
and since that date it has been under supervision of the Secretary of the Interior.

The Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, was originally set aside on De-
cember 8, 1906, with an area of 60,776 acres. The definite location of the principal
deposits of silicified wood was not known, the intention being to reduce the area aiter
the lands could be examined and the location of the valuable deposits determined.
During the year Dr. George P. Merrill, head curator of geology, National Museum,
visited the reservation at the instance of this department and submitted a report
thereon recommending the reduction of the metes and bounds of the reservation and
suggesting the segregation of such portions thereof as are desirable for the use oi col-
lectors having permits under the act of June 8, 1908, to take specimens of silicified wood
from the reservation. This report met with the approval of the department, and ac-
cordingly on July 31, 1911, a new proclamation was issued reducing the area of the
Petrified Forest National Monument to 25,625 acres.

The supervision of these various monuments has, in the absence of any specific
appropriation for their protection and improvements, necessarily been intrusted to
the field officers of the department having charge of the territory in which the several
monuments are located. This supervision in many instances is necessarily limited,
and considerable difficulty has been experienced in protecting the monuments from
vandalism, unauthorized exploration, and spoliation. It is recommended that ade-
quate appropriation be made by Congress for the protection and improvement of
these reservations, only such monuments as in the judgment of the Secretary of the
Interior are subject to depredations by vandals and unauthorized collections on the
part of the public to be provided with a custodian or superintendent.

6 BUREAU OF NATIONAL PARKS.

National monuments administered by Department of Agriculture.

Name. State. Date.

GinderCone. sence cen ot ner oe sete oe eres et onan aac eta California... --. May 6,1907

TAGserihP Gakeemene soca cena tae one Dae reece eee eae ieeect = dO See Sheet dO...

Gila Cliff Dwellings New Mexico...| Nov. 16, 1907

TGntO Men eeeeee: secret ae Arizona.....-- Dec. 19,1907 4

Grand! Cany On. s220 5 3sc-se eee ee eases camer one “tenes oo ocala Okt) ee seiadloe Jan. 11, 1908 | 1806, 400

JoawelliCavel.o-- nse ----=-- South Dakota.| Feb. 7, 1908 1 1,280 }

SUV eGlen sony Ce eee ete nas pele eae sem oe pen mene ee beer inet ia Colorado. ...-- Dec. 17,1908 300

Mount Olympus.....--------------+--------->- Pe os fost SAG Washington...| Mar. 2,1909 | ! 608,640 H

@rogon Caves: eesee ooo ee as = ee eae nee ne eae Oregon....---- July 12,1909 480 5

Wevilsteostpiles. so scene ese ain oe ea nee oa California... ..- July 6,1911 800 ‘
1 Estimated area. ‘

National monument administered by War Department.

Name. | State. Date. Area.

| Acres.
BistHigle Battletield <2 )-- oe. ee teen oo cero asec eens | Montana...... June 23,1910 1

1 Set aside by Executive order. *

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