DPS Emblem DESERT PEAKS SECTION NEWSLETTER #45
ANGELES CHAPTER - SIERRA CLUB

March, 1956

Dear -Desert Peaker:

Enclosed is an interesting and well-written article "0ur Deserts are Not Expendable," reprinted from Harry C James' piece in Nature Magazine. I hope you read it. It deserves to be studied, considered, discussed and broadcast - Dan L. Thrapp.
THE ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING OF THE DESERT PEAKS SECTION was held - on Friday, December 16. As you, no doubt, have read in the Schedule, election of officers put the following in office. Bill Henderson, chairman; Bob Bear, Vice Chairman; Dorothy Cutler, Secretary-Treasurer; and Parker Severson, Member-at-large.

CONSERVATION FOR DESERT PEAKS - Dan L. Thrapp
Senator Alan Bible (D., Nev.) has introduced legislation to eliminate 162,560 acres from the present gross area of 1,951,'928 acres. of the Lake Mead National Area in Arizona and Nevada, and I wrote him asking about it.
The Senator promptly sent me a copy of the bill along with a statement he made on the Senate floor at the time of its introduction, and an outline of what the bill proposes.

I can't go into the whole thing in this small space but in his floor statement the Senator said in part:

"More than 2,600,000 persons visit this area annually, attesting to its national significance. Administration problems ...have arisen.

"The principal effect of my bill will be its recognition and designation of the area as a recreation area of national significance....My bill redescribes the boundaries. The bill will fully protect the purposes of the water-control projects, and at the same time will allow for greater development of the tremendous recreation advantages....Present regulations governing hunting, grazing, and vacation cabin sites will be continued substantially the same. The, policy of allowing the use of as much land as is required for mining and the removal of minerals will be continued. The Hualapai Indian tribe has indicated its willingness to have certain of its lands included, allowing the tribe to participate and benefit from establishment of the area.

"In effect, the bill will provide a suitable and harmonious adjustment of various activities within the recreation area (and) greater development of the area's recreational potential."

"The bill would place the administration directly under the National Park Service and thus would, solve some real administrative, problems and should assist the National Park Service in making broad development plans," the Senator said in a letter.

An unanswered question, of course, is why the 162,560 acres are being eliminated. Anyone have special information on this situation?

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