With a very few exceptions, nearly all of the types of projects engaged in earlier might again be performed with benefit. In brief description, the following projects were sponsored: Cutting brush, roadside. Clearing forests. Overhauling and erecting police telephone signal lines. Constructing forest service roads, bridle trails, and paths. Clearing fire breaks and digging waterholes. Fire-watch service. Developing picnic areas, including constructing wooden and native stone tables and benches, building fireplaces, etc. Scouting for and eradicating gypsy moths, white pine weevil, white pine blister rust. Constructing parking areas. Landscaping on park roads and parkways, including native plantings. Building native stone shelters. Building native stone lookout towers. Removing dead, diseased, and fire-damaged trees. Painting buildings and structures. Drainage and grading for reclamation and mosquito control. Building park shelters, latrines, sanitaries, etc. Reforestation planting. Building retaining walls and installing guardrails. Building sidewalks. Laying water pipe, with fountains and faucets. Constructing swimming pools. Developing ski practice slope and ski runs. Building stone culverts on Forest Service roads. Building paved park roads and road resurfacing. Emergency work including firefighting, flood cleanup, sand removal from ocean storms. Hurricane cleanup in forested areas and parkways. Traffic survey, systemwide. Police radio survey, checking equipment, signal power and receiving patterns, designing a system, preparing specifications, programing installations. Stream improvement, including dams and dikes. Constructing a 120- by 40- by 14-foot fieldstone and brick garage. Building baseball diamonds. Building tennis courts. Building a nine-hole golf course. Enlarging and building new golf course tees and greens. Installing a golf course watering system. Ocean shore protection, riprap installation. Building concrete seawalls. Recreation projects, including sports coaching, programing, supervision of competitive games, instruction, nature hikes, winter and summer. General grading, including hill removal, gravel pit eradication. Tree surgery work. Installing road curbing, constructing paved walks, and developing planting strips. In conclusion, if funds were available, it is our opinion that this commission could sponsor, on short notice, useful employment of about 1,000 man-years of labor per year for an extended period, say 10 years. Very truly yours, ROBERT M. MURPHY. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: We are pleased to be able to furnish the information requested for use in drafting legislation for the utilization of unemployed workers on Government projects. We could use from 50 to 100 workers on projects such as dune stabilization, reforestation, erosion control and the construction of new roads, trails, and picnic areas. Most of these projects could be done without extensive new preparation. There is a considerable amount of unemployment in this area, and all of the above work could be accomplished by utilizing local unemployed labor. We believe the number of employees mentioned above could be utilized to good advantage for a period of 3 or 4 years. There are no industries, and virtually no farming, except for the raising of cranberries in this area, and income is derived primarily from the tourists visiting Cape Cod during a very short season. Most of the tourist travel occurs during the months of July and August. If you need additional or more detailed information we will be very glad to provide it either by letter or by telephone. DEAR SENATOR: Thank you for your inquiry of May 29 concerning the utilization of unemployed workers on conservation projects. We have a relatively small reservation, consisting of about 1,700 acres, and could probably utilize effectively only a small number of workers on a full time basis. I would estimate that 12 or 15 willing, competent men would be about our maximum. With the purchase of $5,000 to $10,000 in new equipment (vehicles, tractors, chain saws, brush saws, axes, grubhoes, etc.) we could immediately undertake normal park projects such as trail improvement and construction (hiking, riding, and ski), roadside and vista clearing and improvement (drains, culverts, and shoulders), timber pruning, and campsite development. The number of man-years of useful work which might be undertaken in the immediate future would probably not exceed 15 per calendar year. As you probably realize, most park administrators have more projects planned than they can possibly accomplish with the labor and material at their disposal, however, many, if not most of these plans are not easily handled on a crash basis. A somewhat slower, but continuing, development which keeps pace with the rising public demand for recreational facilities, is considered the ideal approach. Very truly yours, Mr. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senator. EARLE R. VICKERY, Jr., Superintendent. PURGATORY CHASM, STATE RESERVATION COMMISSION, DEAR MR. NELSON: In reply to your letter of May 29 last, I would estimate 10 man-years of labor could be used in park improvement work here at the reservation. This is a small area of about 188 acres. Hope I have been of some help to you. I remain, Sincerely yours, E. WESLEY MARBLE, Superintendent. SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 6, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: I am in receipt of your letter of July 1. I am happy to hear that you have introduced legislation to provide funds to municipalities to utilize unemployed workers on conservation and recreation projects. My answer to your questions will have to be somewhat general. There isn't any doubt but that we could use substantial numbers of workers in programs of this type in Springfield. We have extensive holdings under the control of the park department but because of the many other demands which must be faced in the field of building new schools, highways, sewer facilities, little or nothing has been done in a comprehensive way to maintain many areas of our park system for a great number of years. Spring cleaning, clearing of nature trails, thinning out of underbrush, removal of diseased trees, development of hundred of areas into desirable locations for recreation would keep hundreds of men busy for a long period of time. There would be no shortage of projects in the city of Springfield. I think that your legislation has a great deal of merit and certainly would seem to be in line with many of the programs now being considered as part of the overall war on poverty. We have a large unemployment figure in Springfield. There are thousands of men who are unemployed who could be productive if your legislation is given the approval of Congress. I would be pleased to further document these remarks if you felt it would be of assistance in this matter. Sincerely, CHARLES V. RYAN, Jr., Mayor. PINE BANKS PARK, Malden, Mass., June 20, 1964. Re park conservation projects. Senator GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In reply to your letter of June 16, 1964, I would be glad to participate in the program and improve the unemployment conditions in our cities. Pine Banks Park is supported by two cities; the city of Malden, and the city of Melrose, Mass. Pine Banks Park has an area of 112 acres. At the present time. we have a children's zoo, playground facilities, 6 baseball diamonds, 1 lighted softball field, and 10 fireplaces. We have a lot of land which could be utilized for recreation purposes if we had the help and materials to do with. Such as building parking facilities; at the present time we have no parking areas-all cars must park along the roadside. We also need more recreation areas. We have a piece of land that was used as the city dump and is now filled in and consists of about 5 acres of land that could be utilized for recreation purposes. We also have approximately 30 acres of land that could be used for picnic area, Boy Scout overnight camping, and winter sports, and also have a tremendous amount of tree work to be done. Such as reforesting, cleaning and pruning of trees and shrubs and also approximately 2 miles of road work that could be done. This is just some of the work that I am outlining for you. At the present time, we don't have any funds to do this work. During the WPA and the NYA many improvements were made by these two organizations. At least 75 to 100 men could be used for a year or two doing this work. Hoping that this can help you and your committee in solving the unemployment problem. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hestitate in letting me know. Sincerely yours, Mr. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senator, Washington, D.C. GEORGE F. CRAY, Superintendent. CITY OF BOSTON, DEAR SENATOR: Your communication of June 16 addressed to me and to members of my staff regarding proposed legislation to provide funds to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects is acknowledged. If funds were available, we could effectively use 400 workers to maintain and develop public facilities under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Department of Boston. The attached list indicates the scope of public play areas under our jurisdiction. The type of projects which can be carried out without extensive new preparations are (1) conservation and repair of over 200,000 trees in streets and boulevards and in park areas; (2) riprap lining of banks of ponds and streams. Cleaning and dredging streams and ponds. There are 131 acres of ponds and streams to be serviced; (3) rehabilitation and beautification of road strips and squares throughout the city; (4) rehabilitation and development of public play fields. The limitation of municipal funds during the past 10 years has seriously affected the maintenance and development of outdoor park areas. Under supervision of competent foremen, unemployed workers, if physically and mentally able to work, could make a positive contribution to their own community by working for the parks and recreation department. Sincerely yours, Parks, playgrounds, and squares-- WILLIAM J. DEVINE, Commissioner. acres 2, 747. 16 74 73.96 Roadways and driveways (Arnold Arboretum not included) __miles__ OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER, July 17, 1964. Senator GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.O. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Your letter of July 1, 1964, addressed to the office of Mayor Paul V. Mullaney has been forwarded to me as city manager. Pursuant to your questions, I shall be pleased to provide whatever information that may be available. I am delighted to learn that you have introduced legislation to financially enable municipalities to utilize the services of unemployed workers on projects, such as conservation, recreation, and roads. Even though our community was removed from the list of depressed areas just 2 weeks ago, it is possible that any funds that your bill would make available, could finance projects which might otherwise be deferred because of a high tax rate, etc. For example, we have some 28 parks and playgrounds in Worcester, and many could be substantially improved if we had the necessary funds. We could design and build more baseball and softball fields, as well as outdoor basketball courts. I have no idea what restrictions may apply to these funds, but I can say that a considerable amount of roadwork could be accomplished also, if the bill so allowed. We are a city with some 500 miles of streets, with many of these roadways in need of complete resurfacing because of their clay base. In general, may I say that there are many municipalities throughout the United States which have been forced by economic circumstances to allow much normal work to be deferred and projects delayed because of the tax rate impact. This is perhaps more so in Massachusetts than any other State except New Jersey, because Massachusetts is the second most dependent State in the Union, which relies on real estate as its principal source of revenue for running its communities. Worcester could certainly map out a required program, that would take some 2 years, operating in the months of April through October each year. If there is any other information of a more specific nature that I can provide, please so advise. Best wishes in your efforts. Sincerely yours, FRANCIS J. MCGRATH, City Manager. MICHIGAN RESPONSES STATE OF MICHIGAN, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION, Monroe, Mich., June 8, 1964. DEAR SENATOR GAYLORD NELSON: I am very proud that you sent me your notice on your legislation to provide unemployed workers for conservation projects in our State of Michigan and others, etc. And I know that we can really use just such a program and so I wish you lots of luck in getting it through. But I am only a small Indian working in the field. So I am sending it, your letter, on up to Lansing to my new director, Ralp A. MacMullan, and I know that he is one swell fellow and will get his answer right out to you. Thank you. ROBERT C. STRAUBE, Michigan State Conservation Officer. P.S.-I see that you are a neighboring Senator from a neighboring State of ours, Wisconsin, so maybe you know Senator Garry Brown, our Senator from Michigan, who I went to school with. I haven't seen Brownie for a long time. So if and when you see him sometime I would greatly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to tell him I said hello. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. MACKINAC ISLAND STATE PARK COMMISSION, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Thank you for your letter of inquiry concerning utilization of unemployed persons for conservation projects at our parks. I am very much interested in this and certainly hope we are given an opportunity to work along with you to bring this about. We administer two State parks; one at Mackinaw City and the State park on Mackinac Island. During the period of the thirties a new program was undertaken here by Public Works Administration. They did a tremendous job and we certainly hope something along this line can be undertaken again. I would estimate that we could use between 20 and 30 men for a period of 9 months each year and would recommend the program extending over a 3-year period. Provided we had a mild winter we would even be able to work on the program for a 12-month period. I would estimate annual man-hours to be around 50,000 hours per year. On Mackinac Island particularly we would certainly benefit considerably if such a program were set up. I have made a brief list of some of the conservation projects for you to review. 1. Walking paths: Clear and brush all of the old paths and develop new ones here on the island. 2. Bridal paths: Same recommendation, develop new and clear the old bridal paths. 3. Woods clearance: We have 2,000 acres of land here that could be gone over, dead trees removed, entire area brushed and cleared, and beautify the woods. 4. Roads: 30 miles of roadways should be repaired and reconstructed for carriage driving. 5. I would recommend developing historic landmark sites. 6. Stairways and rustic fences: The CCC program did a fine job on this and we have just now arrived at a point where this program should be undertaken again. We would repair and rebuild miles of rustic fences and the stairways. If I can be of any further service to you, don't hesitate to call upon me. Yours very truly, CARL A. NORDBERG. |