the thirties. However, in day-to-day operation now we can see that new park areas to be constructed under Governor Rockefeller's Park and Recreation Bond Act of 1960 will be completed by heavy equipment under a construction contract by outside private firms, as all public buildings, sewage plants, etc., are built. The day of the hand labor is long past in this modern age of mechanical equipment and the need for speedy completion of areas. We fully realize this is perhaps a more costly way to create parks but the trend today in all other fields is to that end. Why not parks and recreation areas? We apologize for our seemingly critical comments but this is our considered opinion and you asked for general comments. Thank you for your inquiry. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. J. HOWARD SHATTUCK, EAST HUDSON PARKWAY AUTHORITY, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: I wish to acknowledge your letter of May 29, 1964, in which you advise that you are presently drafting legislation to provide funds to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects such as park development, roadside improvement, timber stand improvement, etc. For your information, we have about 165 miles of parkway which include the Hutchinson River Parkway, Cross County Parkway, Saw Mill River Parkway, Sprain Brook State Parkway, Taconic State Parkway, and Bear Mountain State Parkway. There is always a considerable amount of work ahead of us in the removal of dead trees and the removal of underbrush, so as to allow for the specimen trees to develop. Not knowing the type of personnel who would be engaged under this program, it is impossible to project the work ahead of us on a man-year basis. As a very rough guide, I would say that 25 to 100 man-years would probably be a reasonable starting estimate and, if such a program were embarked upon, it would then be possible to give further projection to the manyears involved. I am interested in the legislation that you mention and would like to know how the progress of such a program could be followed. Very truly yours, ERNEST T. PERKINS, Executive Director. THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS, DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS, June 18, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.O. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Your letter was received with substantial enthusiasm since your investigation is commensurate with one of our conservation projects. Apropos of your questions, and if funds were available, we certainly would have work programs in park development. At the present time we are working with volunteers, mainly youth, in a recreation and park conservation program. Most of the work consists of clearing nature trails through densely wooded areas and marking forest growth for educational experiences. However, with funds, more extensive work could be undertaken, in larger areas, where experienced manpower could be utilized. It would be very difficult to give you any finalized plans now without knowing the ramifications of your proposal. Subsequently, my estimate of work and manpower would just be a conjecture. At any rate I would guess, with proper equipment and machinery, 5 man-years of work, or more, might be needed if we were to undertake a full-scale conservation program. I am interested in your legislation and would apreciate hearing more as it develops. May I give you my vote of confidence and thank you for the opportunity to be of any help. Sincerely yours, ALBERT HOWARD, Assistant Superintendent, Parks and Maintenance. CITY OF SCHENECTADY, N.Y., July 15, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR: I received your comunication concerning the proposed draft of legislation to provide funds on various levels to utilize unemployed workers. I feel that from our standpoint we have several park and recreation areas that need clearing and cleaning out that adequate funds could not be supplied and yet work furnished for a large number of people that would materially benefit the city of Schenectady. Depending on the number of workers that could be provided for such projects the areas that I have in mind would call for some 3,000 to 5,000 man-hours of work. Sincerely yours, WILLIAM F. EDDY, Superintendent. CITY OF WATERTOWN, N.Y., Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR: In reply to your letter of June 15, I think your idea is a very good one due to the communities such as ours with insufficient funds to clear the land in their parks. We have about 513 acres in one large park with about half of it operational. To put the remainder of it in good shape it would entail clearing the land of bushes and trees and would employ approximately 25 or 30 men 5 years or more. This would also require equipment such as a bulldozer, loader, and a dump truck to carry the debris away. The equipment we have on hand is adequate to care for the maintenance of the operational part of the park as it is now. I hope this information meets with your approval and I wish you success in drafting this legislation and having it passed to provide funds for these projects. This certainly would be a great help to the unemployment situation. Sincerely yours, KENNETH B. OSBORNE. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: I have at hand your letter of July 1 in regard to municipalities utilizing unemployed workers on conservation and recreation projects. There is no question but that we could use a number of such people if the funds were available, and I believe in the city of Albany alone, we could make satisfactory and productive use of between 50 and 100 individuals. Sincerely yours, ERASTUS CORNING, 2d, Mayor. CITY OF NEW YORK, New York, N.Y., July 14, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR GAYLORD: I want to express to you, first of all, the appreciation of the citizens of the city of New York for your interest in urban problems. We in New York are deeply appreciate of your efforts on our behalf since your election to the Senate. With respect to the specific points in your recent letter, we can, of course, use unemployed workers on conservation and recreation projects here in New York City. We are prepared, if funds are made available, to utilize such personnel not only in our park system, but to help refurbish our streets and sidewalks, tenements, and in other projects involving capital expenditures which our present budget does not allow us to execute. In this connection, we will be prepared to provide training where necessary, and to structure the experience so that those employed in this manner can become eligible for employment in private industry. We can very easily use 10,000 man-years of employment on recreation and conservation projects within New York City. We are at this time engaged in compiling a list of specific projects and programs which will be of benefit to New York City. With warmest personal regards. ROBERT F. WAGNER, Mayor. THE CITY OF NEW YORK, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In answer to your letter of June 2, requesting information on possible use of unemployed workers on conservation projects without providing additional funds for technical engineer and construction supplies, it has been the experience of the department of parks that in projects such as this type of conservation (and we have had past experience with these types during the WPA and NYA projects working in the depression era of the thirties), that you should provide the following ratio in your request for funds: 5 percent for engineering funds; 20 percent for construction equipment, materials and supplies, and 75 percent for wages for personnel and supervision. Following is a list of locations with approximations of money that could be allocated for conservation work in our parks. As you probably know, our city is divided into five boroughs; namely, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Richmond. In the borough of Manhattan, we estimate $1 million could be spent on projects in Inwood Hill Park and Central Park, in forestry work, construction of nature trails, riprapping along the Hudson River; also constructing footpaths and installing irrigation lines for drinking fountains and providing drainage. In the borough of the Bronx-we estimate that in Pelham Bay Park and Van Cortlandt Park, an amount of $1,500,000 could be spent doing similar work as above for the projects in the borough of Manhattan. In Queens, in Alley Park, Cunningham and Forest Parks, an estimated $1,500,000 could be spent on the same type of project for conservation work. The same applies in the borough of Brooklyn for Prospect Park and Marine Park for the same appropriation of $1,500,000. In the borough of Richmond, an estimated $1 million could be spent on conservation work on the large parks; namely, Clove Lakes, Willowbrook, and LaTourette Parks. Therefore, in your request for legislation, an estimated $6,500,000 could be wisely and appropriately spent on projects in the park department of the city of New York in order to employ idle workers on conservation projects. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In answer to your letter inquiring as to how beneficial a program for employing unemployed workers on conservation projects might be to our historic sites program, I think I can say that we could profitably use from 8 to 10 man-years of work, in the unskilled labor field, during the next 2 years. On the level of professional workers, we could in the same time use, let us say, 4 man-years. Without a great amount of additional planning or additional staff expense in our basic program, we could project work for two field archeologists and four to five laborers. It is in the field of historical archeology that we could best use outside help. With good wishes, Yours sincerely, W. S. TARLTON, Historic Sites Superintendent. NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In reply to your letter of June 3 relative to your proposed legislation to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects, I would like to make the following comments. I am no longer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission but am employed as curator of the State museum of natural history. Museums such as ours, and there are many of them, are somewhat limited in funds available to carry forward a complete program such as a museum is capable of doing. Oftentimes more manpower is needed for carrying out more successful collecting trips, field trips, explorations, excavations, etc., but with limited funds, these activities are greatly curtailed. Although this may not appear to be a conservation project idea, it is basically an activity which stimulates further interest in conservation of natural resources. May I therefore suggest that you give some consideration to incorporating the need for, as well as the use of, unemployed workers to assist in the overall activity of museums. We have found, though limited by funds, that there is a reservoir of willing workers among high school and college students interested in this phase of part-time work, with a view to assisting in their financial needs for college education. You are to be commended for your proposed attempt to come to the aid of conservation of our natural resources, and if we can be of any assistance, please feel free to call upon us. Sincerely yours, WILLIAM L. HAMNETT, Curator, Natural History, North Carolina State Museum. Senator GAYLORD NELSON, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Raleigh, June 12, 1964. Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: There are a number of worthwhile conservation projects which the North Carolina Division of Forestry would go into if funds were available. Some of these require funds for equipment, supplies, building materials, and other nonlabor expenses. However, there exists at present a need for labor which is, I believe, your particular interest at this time. The projects involving labor without large expenditures for materials and which could be gone into without extensive preparation, are as follows: 1. Fire crew members: These men would be trained in forest fire control work and would work with rangers who are concerned with forest fire control. We now have such crews, but due to lack of funds, their numbers are grossly inadequate. This is, in many areas, seasonal work lasting from 6 to 10 months a year but in some few areas it lasts the entire year. A rough estimate on the man-years required would be about 300 man-years during the 1964-65 fiscal year. (These crews would work in cooperation with those in Nos. 2 and 3 below.) 2. Maintenance personnel. These men would perform basic maintenance at all our various installations throughout the State as well as on fire trails, telephone lines, and other improvements. These maintenance crews would also serve as fire crewmen when needed and fire crewmen would do maintenance when not required on firework during wet weather. We estimate about 100 man-years are required during the 1964-65 fiscal year. 3. Timber stand improvement crews. These men would be used to carry out the various jobs required to improve timber growth. Such items as removal of undesirable trees, planting seedlings, thinning, and other similar practices all require a considerable labor force. Here again it is possible to utilize fire crewmen during periods of low fire danger. It is roughly estimated that some 500 man-years would be required during the 1964-65 fiscal year. These projects are now new. They are now going on but due to lack of funds they are not adequately carried out. It is my belief that there exists a real need for the work which can be accomplished by an adequate labor force and we would be most happy to have such projects underway. Yours very truly, Senator GAYLORD NELSON, F. H. CLARIDGE, State Forester. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY, Raleigh, June 19, 1964. U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Regarding your recent inquiry concerning unemployed workers this department might use within the near future, our estimates are as follows: Man-years 1. Historic sites: Archeological excavating, clearing sites, and related work___. 2. Archives and manuscripts: Arranging and describing research materials already on hand in archives; field projects, such as inventorying college and university archives; and indexing published materials such as newspapers, and also unpublished materials such as State records, county records, and municipal records. 3. Colonial records project-- 4. Publications__. 5. Museums: Cleaning, repairing, and preserving historical artifacts--- 100 100 None None 30 230 Total man-years- With very best wishes, I am, CHRISTOPHER CRITTENDEN, Director. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION, Raleigh, N.C., June 24, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In regard to your recent letter concerning proposed legislation to provide funds to Federal, State, county, and municipal agencies to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects the following is submitted: Our program of maintaining wildlife management areas to provide additional hunting and recreation potentials to the general public is based on manipulation practices that require several unskilled workers. With additional labors this program could be increased to provide more recreation by aiding projects such as construction access bridges across canals, cutting and maintaining hunting lanes and trails, clearing boundary lines, and several other similar jobs. In regard to your question on man-years of work which we could utilize I would estimate the use of an additional 10 workers per year, based on the present amount of supervision on ours areas; with more supervision the potential would be greater. As unemployment and welfare are connected I would suggest that your proposed bill include those people now receiving welfare who are able to work. Sincerely, GRADY L. BARNES, Supervisor, Eastern Wildlife Management Areas. |