BRIEFING ON PROGRAMS OF THE BUREAU OF OUTDOOR RECREATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1965 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 2 p.m., pursuant to recess, in room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Ralph J. Rivers (chairman) presiding. Mr. RIVERS. The Subcommittee on National Parks and Recreation will now resume its proceedings. We recessed at noon. This afternoon we are going to be brief. The hearing is in connection with outdoor recreation under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior with cooperation of other departments. We are pleased to have with us today Mr. Lawrence Stevens, Associate Director, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. How is the Director? STATEMENT OF LAWRENCE N. STEVENS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF OUTDOOR RECREATION Mr. STEVENS. Mr. Crafts is feeling very much better and hopes to be back soon. He asked me specifically to express his deep regret that he is not able to be here today for this briefing session, but he looks forward to meeting with all the members directly and hopes to be back in the office in the near future. On his behalf, I would like to appear here today and represent the Bureau. Mr. ASPINALL. Mr. Chairman, I want the new members to especially know of the past services of Mr. Stevens and the work he has done. He served as Director of the Outdoor Recreation Review Commission under the leadership of Mr. Laurance Rockefeller. Few commission reports have been given recognition by having two public laws passed in order to implement the recommendations they have made. No small part of that success is due to Mr. Stevens, who is now serving as Associate Director of this new Bureau with Dr. Crafts. Mr. STEVENS. Thank you, Mr. Aspinall. Mr. RIVERS. I certainly compliment Mr. Stevens on the fine work he did. I also served on the Commission. Are you going to read your statement? Mr. STEVENS. I would like to submit the statement distributed for the record and talk from it and highlight it. Mr. RIVERS. If there is no objection, the statement will be put in the record as though read. (The prepared statement of Mr. Stevens follows:) STATEMENT OF LAWRENCE N. STEVENS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF OUTDOOR RECREATION, JANUARY 29, 1965 Mr. Chairman, I would like to say first of all that the Director of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Edward C. Crafts, deeply regrets that he is unable to be here today to tell you about the work and progress of the Bureau. I am happy to report, however, that he is feeling much better and expects to be back in the office soon. He specifically asked me to let you know that he will be glad to talk with any or all of you at your convenience after he returns to the office. In the meantime, I appreciate the opportunity to substitute for Mr. Crafts today. We note a number of changes regarding the subcommittee: We are pleased that Mr. Rivers of Alaska has been named as its new chairman. He is a fine choice for the position. As a member of the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Mr. Rivers played a major role in the creation of our Bureau, and we appreciate his continuing interest and support. There are many new faces among its membership and we look forward to getting acquainted. We are especially happy that "Recreation" has become a full partner and made a part of the subcommittee's title. It indicates recognition of the full spectrum of the outdoor recreation field. We are anxious to cooperate with Mr. Aspinall, chairman of the full committee, Mr. Rivers, chairman of the subcommittee, and the entire membership in making, if possible, the 89th Congress an even more fruitful Congress than the 88th insofar as matters concerning outdoor recreation are concerned. This will be no small task considering the unprecedented record of the last 2 years. ORIGIN OF THE BUREAU The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation is less than 3 years old. In many respects we are still feeling our way. But gradually we are gaining experience, knowledge, and strength. Very briefly, for the benefit of new members, I will describe the origin of the Bureau. During the last decade or two, outdoor recreation has assumed tremendous proportion in the social and economic life of our country. It constitutes today a major use of our land and water resources and is on an equal basis with other demands upon these resources. In many instances, it has become a predominant or a priority use of such resources. Largely as a consequence of this new dimension in outdoor recreation, Congress, in 1958, created an Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. This bipartisan commission was composed of four members of this committee, four members of the Senate Interior Committee, and seven members appointed by the President. This committee was represented by Mr. Rivers, the present chairman of the subcommittee, and Mr. Saylor, the ranking minority member of the full committee. Five former members of the committee served at various times on the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commisison. The commission was directed to estimate the needs for outdoor recreation for our citizens in the future, determine the resources available to meet those needs, and to recommend the policies and programs to achieve these objectives. After 3 years of study, the Commission transmitted its report to the President and the Congress on January 31, 1962. This report, entitled "Outdoor Recreation for America," contained some 50 specific recommendations. It is a report well worth reading. Many of the proposals which undoubtedly will come to the attention of this committee will have their roots in these recommendations. The Commission also published 27 study reports covering various facets of outdoor recreation that had been prepared for it by universities and other research organizations. One of the recommendations of the Commission was the creation of a Bureau of Outdoor Recreation in the Department of the Interior. President Kennedy promptly endorsed this recommendation in his conservation message of March 1, 1962. With equally quick action, after conferring with congressional leaders, Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall, by adminis trative order, established the Bureau on April 2, 1962. The Bureau's overall purpose is to provide a focal point and leadership in a nationwide effort by coordinating the various Federal programs and assisting other levels of government to meet the demands for outdoor recreation. FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAU The Bureau's functions are authorized principally by two statutes and an Executive order as follows: The act of May 28, 1963 (Public Law 88-29), which we refer to as our organic act. The act of September 3, 1964 (Public Law 88-578), entitled the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Executive Order No. 11017 of April 27, 1962, as amended. The authorities in these basic documents which run to the Secretary of the Interior have, with but one exception, been delegated to the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. As spelled out in these documents, the Bureau's functions are to: Prepare and maintain a continuing inventory and evaluation of the outdoor recreation needs and resources of the United States. Prepare a system for classification of outdoor recreation resources. plan. Provide technical assistance and advice to and cooperate with States, political subdivisions, and private interests with respect to outdoor recreation. Sponsor, engage in, and assist in research relating to outdoor recreation. Cooperate with and provide technical assistance to Federal departments and agencies. Promote coordination of Federal plans and activities generally relating to outdoor recreation. Administer a program of financial assistance to the States for the planning, acquisition, and development of outdoor recreation resources to be operated for public use by the States and local public agencies. Serve as staff to the President's Recreation Advisory Council. A word of explanation is needed regarding our relationship with this Council. Shortly after the Bureau was established, the President by Executive order established a Recreation Advisory Council composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency. The chairmanship of the Council rotates among these officials in the order named for terms of 2 years each. The purpose of this body is to provide broad policy advice to the heads of Federal agencies on all important matters affecting outdoor recreation resources and to facilitate coordinated efforts among the various Federal agencies. I would like to point out that when we are working on assignments from the Recreation Advisory Council, we function independently of the Department in which we are housed. This is an important distinction which is recognized and maintained by the Secretary of the Interior and the Advisory Council. In short, the Bureau wears two hats in carrying out its responsibilities. The Bureau has been delegated other responsibilities of the Secretary, which I will mention only briefly. They are: Reviews applications submitted to the General Services Administration from States and local governments to acquire surplus Federal lands for public use as parks and recreation areas, and makes the compliance checks necessary to assure that such lands so acquired by the States and local governments are in fact being used for park and recreation purposes. The Director of the Bureau acts as the Secretary's representative on the Lewis and Clark Trail Commission which was established by act of October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-630). At its first meeting, on January 4, the Commission members appointed the Director to the position of Executive Officer of the Commission. Consults with the Housing and Home Finance Agency on the general policies to be followed by that agency, pursuant to title VII of the Housing Act of 1961, in reviewing applications for grants and providing information on recreation planning in the area in which the grant is to be used. Before going into the current programs of the Bureau, I would like to tell you about how the Bureau is organized. 42-949-65-pt. 2- -3 ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAU In assisting the Secretary of the Interior in carrying out these responsibilities, the Bureau reports to him through the Assistant Secretary for Public Management. Significantly, however, we do not manage any lands or other outdoor recreation resources. Our headquarters office here in Washington is housed in the Department of the Interior building. The top staff of the Bureau includes the Director, myself as Associate Director, and four Assistant Directors. The work of the Bureau is divided into four categories with an Assistant Director responsible for each category. These are: (1) Planning and Research, (2) Federal Coordination, (3) State, Local, and Private Programs, and (4) Administration. The four Assistant Directors are with me here today, and I would like to introduce them to the committee. We have six small regional offices located in Philadelphia, Pa.; Ann Arbor, Mich., Atlanta, Ga.; Denver, Colo.; Seattle, Wash.; and San Francisco, Calif. Each is headed by a regional director. We are a small agency. As of December 31, 1964, we had 235 employees, of which about 30 were financed from funds transferred to us by other Federal agencies for which we are performing recreation planning services. This is total employment including both headquarters and regional offices. The President's budget for fiscal year 1966 includes the following amounts to carry out the Bureau's major programs: Nationwide planning, Federal coordination, technical assistance, and other programs authorized by Public Law 88-29__. Grants to States from the land and water conservation fund_. Acquisition of recreation areas by Federal agencies under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act__. Bureau expense in administering land and water conservation fund program, including cost of printing the recreation/conservation sticker____ Total___. $3,398, 000 74, 136, 000 49, 424, 000 1, 440, 000 128, 398, 000 CURRENT PROGRAMS OF THE BUREAU I would like now to describe some of our major programs and the progress we have made since the last briefing hearings before this subcommittee 2 years ago. The nationwide outdoor recreation plan One of the basic responsibilities of the Bureau is to formulate an outdoor recreation plan for the Nation and to update the plan every 5 years thereafter. Projections of needs will be made initially to the years 1980, 2000, and 2020. We are directed by Public Law 88-29 to transmit the initial plan to the President and the Congress by no later than May 1968. This work is progressing on schedule. Basically, the nationwide plan will be a guide to sound public policy in outdoor recreation to insure that the variety of recreation opportunity desired by our people will be available in the general locations they desire in sufficient quantity to serve them adequately. Although it will identify existing and potential Federal recreation areas, it will not provide blueprints for specific recreation development projects. It will, rather, be an appraisal of the supply of outdoor recreation lands and waters available in the United States, the demand of the American people for outdoor recreation opportunities, and the resulting needs for additional areas and facilities to meet the public demand. The concern of the plan will be with all kinds of outdoor recreation in the broadest sense and with the preservation of natural beauty and environment, the timely acquisition of the lands and waters of highest value for outdoor recreation, and the development of adequate facilities. It will encompass urban and rural aspects of outdoor recreation and public and private programs. In addition the plan will develop specific recommendations for action programs at the Federal, State, and local levels and in the private sector to meet current and future identified outdoor recreation needs. Also the plan will be the repository, through automatic data processing techniques, of a substantial and growing bank of information on outdoor recreation supply and demand data which will be made available to all levels of government and to private enterprise for use in the development of their respective programs. The nationwide plan will be the guide for recreation acquisition and development by all Federal land and water management agencies and of major assistance to States and other non-Federal interests, public and private, in their recreation planning. Recreation planning for water resources development projects The Bureau cooperates with the Federal water construction agencies in recreation planning at water and related land resource development projects. In short, it makes recommendations for recreation development and use in both river basin studies and individual project studies. Federal water development reports are submitted to us for review and comment by the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Soil Conservation Service. Non-Federal public and private reservoir development proposals subject to Federal license are likewise submitted by the Federal Power Commission to us for appraisal. We believe that the Bureau's participation in water resources is of particular significance for several reasons: (1) water-based recreation constitutes a very substantial portion of all outdoor recreation; (2) many Federal water resource developments provide extensive recreation opportunities and become important segments of the nationwide plan as well as of the statewide plans of the States concerned; (3) the amount of Federal investment in recreation at water development projects is large and growing each year; and (4) the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act provides that a portion of the fund may be transferred to miscellaneous receipts, as a partial offset for capital costs of future Federal water development projects which are allocated to public recreation and the enhancement of fish and wildlife values. In order to avoid duplication of effort in this field, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation has worked out agreements with the National Park Service and Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife on the functions of each of the Bureaus in water resource planning studies. The Washington office work in recreation planning relating to water resources has been financed by direct appropriations to the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, but the bulk of the work conducted in the field by the regional offices has depended upon transfer funds from other Federal agencies. Federal coordination in outdoor recreation The Bureau has initiated a broad overall review and analysis of Federal outdoor recreation resource programs and policies. This review is conducted in four general areas. First, the Bureau provides staff services to the Recreation Advisory Council in the development of Federal policies relating to the nationwide effort to improve outdoor recreation opportunities. This includes the preparation of proposed policies for the better protection and appropriate management of scenic areas, natural wonders, primitive areas, historic sites, and recreation areas of national significance. It includes recommendations for the management of Federal lands to provide the broadest possible recreation benefit, and for cooperation with, and assistance to, States and local governments. The Recreation Advisory Council has issued four policy statements. 1. "Federal Executive Branch Policy Governing the Selection, Establishment, and Administration of National Recreation Areas." March 26, 1963. 2. "General Policy Guidelines for Outdoor Recreation." April 9, 1964. 3. "Policy Governing the Water Pollution and Public Health Aspects of Outdoor Recreation." April 9, 1964. 4. "A National Program of Scenic Roads and Parkways." April 9, 1964. In all of these statements the Council commended the policies to all concerned Federal agencies. Furthermore, the member agencies of the Council through approval of the statement became responsible for observing these policies and for giving them force and effect in their action programs. Six policy studies are presently underway at the direction of the Recreation Advisory Council; namely, one, on a national program of scenic roads and parkways; two, on user fee regulations; three, on measuring recreation use of Federal areas; four, on the role of the private sector; five, on non-Federal management of recreation facilities on Federal lands and waters; and the sixth, on the management responsibilities of Federal agencies at land and water reSource projects. |
