Wildlife

The mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes in areas of the National Park System continue to be of prime visitor interest. The perpetuation of all native animals in their natural environment is a primary objective of the National Park Service and cooperative research by qualified institutions and individuals, such as the research on grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park by the Montana State University, is encouraged by the Service.

Management and interpretation of important fishery resources of the parks continued, including the providing of accurate information on native fishes, and the establishment of self-guiding underwater trails in seashore environments.

Park Publications

The phenomenal increase in family camping, recreational pursuits, and education interests in the National Parks and other areas was demonstrated by the mounting demands for informational and educational literature.

The Service produced 11,650,000 copies of free informational publications during the fiscal year, including new format folders for Crater Lake and Glacier National Parks and nine smaller areas.

Two new historical handbooks-Antietam and Vanderbilt Mansion-were added to the series, and one-The Lincoln Museum and The House Where Lincoln Died-was revised. One natural history handbook-Great Smoky Mountains-was added to that series, and two in the archeological research series-Archeological Excavations at Jamestown and The Hubbard Site and Other Tri-Wall Structures in New Mexico and Colorado-were issued. The Service also produced the report entitled Recreation Today and Tomorrow in the Missouri River Basin, in cooperation with the Missouri Basin InterAgency Committee.

The Public Inquiries Unit received 54,984 requests for information during the 1960 fiscal year, which total included 1,235 foreign requests, and 1,182 congressional requests.

A total of 295,715 informational publications was received during the year and bulk distribution used in answer to requests received totaled 213,040, exclusive of sales publications and other miscellaneous publications such as concessioner publications.

During the year, the National Park Service increased its collection of photographs to better illustrate Service publications and for improved park representation in newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, and textbooks.

A survey of the demands on the National Park Service from writers, park administrators, governments as well as private institutions in other countries, showed approximately 600 foreign inquiries in a dozen foreign languages received for information and technical

assistance.

Cooperation with the Standard Oil Co. of California and the Sinclair Oil Corp., in their respective programs of educational radio programs and instructive magazine advertisements, culminated in both firms receiving the Department's Conservation Service Award for enlightened public-service programs in the field of conservation. Public attention was also given to the 40th anniversary of the nature guide service in the National Park System, begun in 1920 by Dr. and Mrs. Charles M. Goethe. Dr. Goethe was also the recipient this year of the Department's Conservation Service Award.

Historical Commissions

The Civil War Centennial Commission continued its activity in preparation for observance of the centennial years. Meetings were held in Washington and in St. Louis.

The Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission was continued from March 1 to June 30, 1960, to enable the Commission to complete its final report to Congress.

The Hudson-Champlain Celebration Commission observed the 350th anniversary of the explorations of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain.

The Boston National Historic Sites Commission, created in 1955 to study historic objects, sites and buildings in Boston and vicinity relating to the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, extended its 2year study to June 30, 1960, at which time the final report of the Commission was submitted and the Commission disbanded.

The New York City National Shrines Advisory Board, established to promote public cooperation in the rehabilitation, preservation, and development of Federal Hall National Memorial, Castle Clinton and Statue of Liberty National Monuments in New York City, added new members to the body in the spring of 1960—which undertook a revived program to secure donated funds to complete the development of the areas by the opening date of the World's Fair in New York in 1964.

The protection and management of back country has become more critical with the growing interest in the primitive and undeveloped areas of the parks. Studies are under way to determine the patterns of use and provide guides for the future.

The training of park rangers, foresters and supporting personnel, was extended to men in all areas in a variety of programs and subjects tailored to fit the many situations encountered in the Service. Emphasis was placed on safety, forest and structural fire control, radiological monitoring, search and rescue, law enforcement, and mountaineering. The first water safety and rescue seminar was conducted at Everglades National Park for 16 park rangers and 6 other Federal employees. The National Park Service Training Center at Yosemite National Park completed its third successful year, graduating 50 new employees.

During 1959 the Service's system for generating and reporting statistics on public use of the parks was overhauled. Statistical methods are more rigorously controlled than heretofore. The new system is designed to become a basic vehicle in developing data for management and planning relating to park workloads, development priorities, design loads, changes in public pressures and needs, and identification of opportunities for new public services.

Ranger Activities

The divisions in four regional offices have been staffed with division. chiefs and good progress was made in improving assistance to the parks in the fields of preservation and protection.

A major revision of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, chapter 1, was completed and a new edition of the Code was issued. This updates and modernizes the regulations in view of the changes in visitor use practices in recent years.

Mountaineering

The mountainous parks are consistently attracting about 20,000 persons annually toward the rugged summits. It is a recreational outlet with heavy returns in satisfaction, but inherent hazards are always present and 10 lives were claimed this year by those seeking out the high and trackless places. The relatively infrequent accidents are mostly of a dramatic nature and thus become widely known. The effort, time and cost that goes into search, rescue or evacuation is proportionately great.

Use of Water Areas

The vigorous upward trend in all boating and water activities opens new areas of use and demands for protection services and facilities at an increasingly greater level. This is creating a lag that must be overcome to meet obligations for visitor safety, enjoyment and preservation of park features.

Twelve Months of Service

In 1941, 40 percent of that year's 21 million park visits occurred in July and August. In 1959, 21 million visits occurred in these 2 months alone, but constituted only 34 percent of the year's total of 63 million.

This means that parks now receive during nonpeak travel months over three times the volume of travel that formerly occurred during the peak period. The visitor pattern has shifted so the provision of public services now approaches a year-long operation versus a seasonal

one.

Forest Fire Control

The fire control workload increased substantially this year. The fire seasons, particularly in the western mountain parks, extended

2 to 3 months beyond normal. The occurrence of 517 fires was a significant increase over the previous 5-year average of 368.

Man-caused fires increased 42 percent over the previous year, and lightning-caused fires, 9 percent. However, the 3,061 acres of park vegetation burned was far less than the previous 5-year average of 8,444 acres and the lowest since 1939. The safety record of no disabling injuries during firefighting activities is outstanding.

Greater use was made of aircraft for scouting, detection, movement of suppression personnel and supplies, and application of fire retardants on burning fuels. Smoke Jumpers were utilized for the first time in region four.

Forest Insect and Tree Disease Control

Maintenance control operations kept most insect and tree diseases, and subsequent vegetative losses, low. Barkbeetle infestations in mixed conifers in California increased sharply. Mountain pine beetles have invaded the 60,000 acres of high mountain lodgepole pine