Mrs. MAHER. I think they are able to take steps that the others would not be able to. Senator SIMPSON. Thank you very much. Excuse me for interrupting. Mrs. MAHER. As a result we are convinced that Assateague-mile after mile of low-lying golden sandy beach, a barrier reef with beaches of a quality to rival any in the world-is a precious national asset. We, as women, feel that this beauty must be preserved in its natural state as a legacy for future generations. We believe that it is vital to provide natural areas where our children and grandchildren may go to picnic, to camp, or swim or fish. We are gratified that the Honorable Stewart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interior, has seen fit to have a thorough study made of the island, and that he recommends that Assateague Island should be preserved as a national seashore and public recreation area. We are pleased that President Johnson, on February 8, 1965, in his memorable message to Congress, proposed "a broad program to preserve natural beauty with conservation principles in the forefront," and that he stated his intention to make this a "Parks for America decade," making particular mention of funds needed to acquire lands necessary to establish Assateague Island National Seashore and other areas equally in need of preservation. As President Lincoln once said, "Government should do those things that need doing, but that the people cannot do as well for themselves." We believe this to be true in the case of Assateague Island. We need the help of Congress, and particularly this committee, to approve the necessary legislation for the preservation of Assateague Island as a national seashore area. We respectfully request that you support Senator Brewster's bill, S. 20. Mr. Chairman, may we draw your attention to the attached resolution: To establish the Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia, which has been adopted by the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, and ask that this resolution also be made a part of the record of this hearing. Thank you. Senator BIBLE. Without objection, that will be ordered. (The resolution follows:) RESOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE GARDEN CLUBS, INC. Whereas the National Park Service, as long ago as 1935, has identified Assateague Island, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, as one of the 12 areas suitable for national seashore status; and Whereas the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart L. Udall, has stated that, "Assateague Island is the largest unspoiled section of beach in the midsection of the Atlantic coast which is suitable for preservation as a national seashore"; and Whereas Assateague Island has definitely been established as "dynamic," which is to say that it is in motion and changing as a result of the shifting effects of wind, waves, and currents, and is in definite need of Federal action to acquire the remaining portion of the island to assure that protective measures such as protective dunes and stabilizing beaches, will be taken to stabilize the island; and Whereas "Assateague Island is ideally located to serve the large population centers of Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia, and nearby areas, and would provide for future generations and present-day Americans—a remarkable area for recreation, sports, fishing, swimming, and conservation”; and Whereas Federal officials from both the executive and legislative branches of the Government have recommended the enactment of legislation to establish the Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia, to the Public Lands Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs; and Whereas the protection to be afforded by such an act of Congress in establishing this national seashore area is most urgent: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, Inc., the Central Atlantic Region, and the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc., go on record in support of the proposed legislation establishing the Assateague Island National Seashore; and further be it Resolved, That this resolution be incorporated in the minutes of the fall board meeting of the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc., held at Hot Springs, Va., October 27, 28, 29, 1964; and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the President of the United States, the chairman of the Senate and House Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs, and the Governors of Maryland and Virginia. Senator BIBLE. Thank you very much for a fine sttaement, Mrs. Maher. I would have but one question. You say for several years members of your club have studied the needs of the preservation of Assateague Island. When did you first feel this need? Mrs. MAHER. I would say 4 years ago. Senator BIBLE. You did not get into studying this 40 years ago, 20 years, or 15 years ago? Mrs. MAHER. No, sir. Senator BIBLE. The Senator from Wyoming? Senator BIBLE. The Senator from Arizona. Senator FANNIN. I would just ask if you support the other bill that is providing for both the States to participate. You referred to S. 20. There is also S. 1121, which provides that both Virginia and Maryland participate in this program and that the road be provided to connect the two bridges. Mrs. MAHER. I do not think we could have taken a stand on that, sir. Senator FANNIN. Thank you. Senator BIBLE. Thank you very much, Mrs. Maher. Mrs. MAHER. You are welcome. Senator BIBLE. Our next witness is Mr. Clayton Hoff. FROM THE FLOOR. I don't believe Mr. Hoff is here. He lives in Wilmington. Senator BIBLE. His statement will be received by the committee and filed as given. (The statement referred to follows:) STATEMENT OF CLAYTON HOFF, WILMINGTON, DEL. Mr. Chairman, in addition to my own personal interest as a private citizen, I represent as its executive vice president, Forward Lands Inc., a nonprofit private organization with the objective of acquiring open spaces and holding them for future public use. My interest in Assatague Island stems from my frequent visits to it as early as the year 1937. The terrain of Assateague Island varies from sandy beaches at sea level, salt water and fresh water marshes and flats to active drifting sand dunes of a few feet in height to stabilized and forested dunes perhaps 7 to 8 feet above sea level. The vegetation of Assateague Island ranges from aquatic plants, mosses, lichens, hudsonia, cyripedium, opuntia, and numerous other wild flowers to enormous loblolly pines several feet in diameter and perhaps 80 to 90 feet in height. There are a few, if any, remaining places along the Atlantic coast where such a variety of terrain and vegetation can be found and it is considered most important by all the ecologists that this be preserved for general public use, study, and enjoyment. This great variety of terrain and vegetation, together with the fact that there is an ocean shore on one side and a marshy bay shore on the other, make this an outstanding habitat for many forms of wildlife, particularly shore birds, waterfowl and game, and it is considered extremely important that the entire island, not only the Virginia section, but the Maryland section as well, be preserved as a wildlife habitat for resident and migratory wildlife, not only for the ornithologist, but for the sportsman and hunter who must depend not only on hunting grounds but breeding grounds for his supply of wildlife and game. It has also been observed that the shore of Assateague Island provides an excellent facility for surf casting for thousands of anglers, and it is deemed expedient that this island be kept so that this sport would be available to the public rather than restricted to a few who might be temporary residents of the island. I have been on Assateague Island in fair weather and in storms, and I have seen a tremendous area of Assateague Island completely inundated during northeasterlies and its is not only my own observation, but common knowledge that the surface features of Assateague Island have been radically changed by severe storms which would indicate that the major portion of Assateague Island, particularly that in Maryland, is entirely unsuited for permanent residents or commercial developments. It would appear that the expenses to the taxpayers at large of maintaining or protecting or restoring their residences on much of Assateague Island would be many times the original cost of the land and the buildings combined. It should be remembered that the lightouse at Cape Henloben, rebuilt in about 1767, was located on a high dune almost 1 mile from the shoreline. This site is now between 200 and 300 feet out in the Atlantic Ocean. Shorelines change rapidly and sections of Assateague Island are no exception. My own observations have supported the geologists, hydrologists and public health officers who have pointed out the difficulty of fresh water supplies and of sewage and waste disposal. Costs appear prohibitively high and there is great question as to their sanitary safeness. There is more to life than dollars and cents. The human being, to be morally, mentally, and physically healthy, needs contact with some of the fundamental, natural things of his environment. Man's soul does not thrive on brick, stone, concrete, asphalt, oil, iron, and steel. The last few remaining natural areas along the Atlantic coast should not be sacrificed for the financial benefit of a few. For the foregoing reasons, I urge that legislation be enacted establishing Assateague Island as a national seashore area. Senator BIBLE. Our next witness is Mr. Dominic Nicholas Fornaro. STATEMENT OF DOMINIC NICHOLAS FORNARO, BALTIMORE COUNCIL OF AFL-CIO UNIONS (MARYLAND) Mr. FORNARO. Senator Bible and members of the committee, my name is Dominic Nicholas Fornaro, and I am president of the Baltimore Council of AFL-CIO Unions (Maryland) representing a membership of 125,000. I would like to go on record in support of passage of S. 20, relating to the establishment of the Assateague Island National Seashore in the States of Maryland and Virginia, now being considered by the U.S. Senate. Organized labor today recognizes the immediate and critical need for additional public recreational facilities, particularly in our midatlantic area where the rapidly expanding population already outstrips the land available for one to enjoy the great out of doors. Labor is moving ahead in these times, gaining for the working man more leisure time through shorter work days and work weeks, and longer vacations. Automation also provides more time for the working man from his job. Moreover, more and more working people seek the healthy, relaxing and enjoyable offerings of the out of doors for recreation away from their jobs. This, I believe, is a commendable trend, and one which should be encouraged in any way practical. It contributes considerably to our American society, the understanding of our American heritage, our appreciation of conservation, and our love of the wonders of natureall of which are necessary if we are to make our citizens more aware of maintaining and restoring the natural resources so vital to the future of this great country. Remember this, too, outdoor recreation is ofttimes family recreation. Families enjoy the out of doors together. They swim, hike, watch birds, fish, take pictures, camp, and even hunt together. Outdoor recreation strengthens family ties at a time when many other everyday tensions can tend to loosen them. Think, too, of the part expanding outdoor recreation can play in the curbing of juvenile delinquency. Youngsters, both boys and girls, can obtain a fresh outlook on life through the appreciation and enjoyment of our natural resources and the companionship of their mothers and fathers on trips in the out of doors. Here we have a situation where conserving our natural resources for the benefit of man can actually conserve our human resources for the benefit of man. Now, what is the laboring man and his family looking for in the way of recreational opportunity? They seek a place to relax and enjoy themselves, oftentimes as a family unit, and at a cost they can afford. Many of the people I represent cannot afford the private clubs, expensive resorts, and high-priced trips. Everyone is aware of the costs of raising, educating, and caring for a growing family today. These people seek something that is best exemplified in the proposal for the conversion of Assateague Island to a national seashore. This, of course, is only one of many such worthwhile projects being considered by our Federal, State and local governments. To my area, however, Assateague is by far the most important now under consideration in the recreation-conservation field. It represents a solid guarantee to those I represent that they will have available to them a natural wilderness and seashore area not only in our lifetime, but for future generations. Here we have a long thin silver of land on the Maryland-Virginia eastern shore that can be made available to 35 mililon people who are within a 275-mile drive of its beauty and recreational opportunities. It is the only such place available north of North Carolina to the working people of my area. These people seek to escape from the concession stands, teeming public beaches, and the crowded resort cities that no longer provide them with the relief they yearn for from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They want to go places where they can enjoy in "togetherness" their time away from their jobs, school, and home. The establishment of an Assateague Island National Seashore represents one of the important answers to their hopes. Therefore, I cannot express myself too strongly in favor of S. 20 on behalf of not only my membership, but on behalf of myself personally and my family, and I earnestly seek your support for this most beneficial program. Mr. CHAIRMAN. I want to thank you for allowing me to appear here and express my views for the people I represent. Senator BIBLE. We are very happy to have you do so. You direct your testimony, as much of the other testimony has been directed, only to S. 20. Do you have any feelings as to the companion bill that is before us that includes the State of Virginia and the building of the road between the two bridges? Mr. FORNARO. I would embrace that also, because working people live in Virginia. Senator BIBLE. So, you have no feeling one way or another on that, if the committee thinks it is wise to join these together this is what should be done. You say you are speaking for yourself and your family. Have you actually visited Assateague Island yourself? Mr. FORNARO. Twice I have been there fishing, before the bridge. Senator BIBLE. I have no questions. The Senator from Wyoming? Senator SIMPSON. Yes; I would like to ask Mr. Fornaro: Do you have a a resolution from your membership, the Baltimore Council for Mr. FORNARO. This is a national AFL-CIO policy for recreation and any type of conservation. This is a policy from the national AFL-CIO. Senator SIMPSON. Then it applies to any such seashores? Mr. FORNARO. Yes, sir. Senator BIBLE. The Senator from Idaho? Senator JORDAN. No questions. Senator BIBLE. The Senator from Arizona? Senator FANNIN. No questions. Senator BIBLE. Thank you very much. Our next witness is Mr. Claude Callegary. STATEMENT OF CLAUDE CALLEGARY, BALTIMORE, MD. Mr. CALLEGARY. Senator Bible, as cochairman of the citizens committee, I have been perhaps busy with getting ready for these hearings so that when our schedule was changed, I did not have an opportunity to make a complete written statement of what I would like to say to the committee. I wrote down several notes for myself. My interest in this-I am an attorney from Baltimore, I am also the attorney for many of these labor unions, the Auto Workers, International Association of Machinists, Communications Workers of America, and so forth. I am also the senior vice commander of the Disabled American Veterans, the incoming national commander. I am also a conservationist and a duck hunter, if you want to bring all the facts into this. 46-379-65- -6 |