Comments on Destination Parks by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] In a recent article about Destination Parks in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Larry Stone wrote about a debate in the 1930s over management of Iowa's first state park -- Backbone. He quoted Thomas Macbride, a retired botanist and University of Iowa president widely considered the father of conservation in Iowa, responding to a proposed elaborate development plan for the park: "Is all the quiet beauty of our park, like Mount Rainier at Seattle, simply a hot kitchen...where we get a chicken dinner? I am frightened when you talk of landscape development," Macbride added. "For the wild things, the birds and trees....Nature's landscape is exactly right....To these we can add nothing." Larry also quoted Aldo Leopold, author of "A Sand County Almanac" -- "noting that people also should look inward when they think of recreation. "Recreational development is a job not of building roads into lovely country, but of building receptivity into the still unlovely human mind." (Thanks to Larry for these great quotes.) =============================== From Jane Clark I am concerned to hear that the Destination Parks might be "blended into existing high quality natural areas in state parks." Iowa has so little protected as high quality natural areas, that I would prefer to see other sites considered. At our regional REAP meeting in Des Moines, there were several comments about avoiding commercialization of our parks, concern about seeing our existing parks and facilites decline while we are developing new facilites, and concern about "development" over protection. Some people thought the Destination Parks would take money away from REAP and other parks, and away from natural area protection. I am concerned that our "places of quiet beauty" could be impacted by parking lots and recreational activities that have nothing to do with experiencing the "out-of-doors" -- activities that could be placed elsewhere. However, during the REAP presentation about the Destination Parks, we were told these parks would be "blended into existing high quality natural areas" in our state parks. Mike Carrier, Parks, Recreation and Preserves Division administrator said recently, "More than 10 million people visit our state parks each year because they like the things our parks offer." If this is true, why is it necessary to introduce an "expanded array of recreational opportunities" and entertainment to these parks? Would this include basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, swimming pools, tennis courts? If so, those kinds of recreational opportunities don't need to be near existing high quality natural areas. *Not* near places of quiet beauty like the Loess Hills or Effigy Mounds. I think we could find a place for these "Destination Parks" with easy access from major highways, without diminishing the experience now enjoyed by Iowans in their state parks. For instance, a facility could be built along I-80 between Des Moines and Amana. People could spend a week or more visiting Neal Smith NWR, Red Rock, Saylorville, Ledges, Amana, all the golf courses in and around Des Moines (and several more being planned as we discuss this), Adventureland, Prairie Meadows, Salisbury House, the State Capitol, Engeldinger, Chichaqua, and ride the 100 mile Central Iowa bike loop. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]