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EXHIBIT 7-National Park Service concession contracts as of Aug. 15, 1962-Con.

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May

1, 1959

Dec. 31, 1963

Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National
Parks Co.

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Shenandoah National Park: Virginia Sky-Line Co., Inc.

Jan.

1, 1959

Dec. 31, 1988

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VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONS IN NATIONAL PARKS

Mr. BROOKS. I would like to say, Secretary Udall, that I know you have to leave and we are deeply grateful to you for taking time out to come down here and be with us. I have a letter and I had a long talk with a man, Mr. England. Is he here by any chance now?

He is not here. He is due in about 11 o'clock and I was hopeful that he would be here while you were still here.

But I would like to submit his letter for the record and we have some copies. It is a letter to you. He did not feel there would be anything wrong in discussing it and I would like to submit at this time this letter for the record.

(The document, exhibit 8, follows:)

EXHIBIT 8-LETTER FROM RICHARD ENGLAND, HECHINGER LUMBER AND HARDWARE STORES, WASHINGTON, D.C., TO HON. STEWART L. UDALL, August 2, 1962 HECHINGER,

Hon. STEWART L. UDALL,
Secretary of the Interior,

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., August 2, 1962.

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: I have just returned from a "grand tour" of America's West with my wife and three young children, ages 8 through 14. During this trip we saw a great many sights, including five of our country's great national parks.

We were simply thrilled at the beautiful natural sights we saw in the parks we visited. As a citizen and taxpayer, I applaud all the men, past and present, who originally set up and who now administer our country's park system. The areas chosen for national parks are simply thrilling for a person to visit. The

parks have been administered in a way that makes their natural beauty a great joy to behold.

The purpose of my writing you this letter is to urge you to consider ways and means of bringing hotel aspects of the national parks up to something nearer the grandeur and excellence of the natural beauties of the parks. I found the contrast between the beauties of nature and the works of man so very appalling. The rivers, lakes, mountains, and forests-and other natural wonders very pleasing to the eye and so very restful to the spirit, but the hotel and restaurant service in the parks left so very much to be desired.

were so

Why must visitors to the parks mostly have to stay in 50-, 60-, and 70-year-old wooden buildings, equipped with obsolete plumbing, plagued with creaking floors, with fire-escape systems that would appall any sensible fire marshal in a modern American city? Why must great views be obstructed by tiny little windows, with a style based on the latest Victorian architecture? Why is it necessary that the hotels be so very overcrowded that 3 and 4 months before our trip we could not get reservations in many of the places that we wanted to stay?

My instincts as a businessman were further offended by the nature of the food service in most of the parks. Restaurants serviced by an inadequate number of waitresses. A general lack of experience on the part of desk clerks, hostesses in restaurants, and on the part of most of the hotel attendants. Long waits to register when coming into a hotel, and very long waits to get served in cafeterias. Almost a complete lack of coordination between desk clerks and park rangers, to such an extent that the desk clerks seldom knew what the rangers were doing or when activities were to take place on the part of rangers and naturalists. Several letters back and forth in the spring to get reservations-and then a foulup in reservations upon arrival.

I run a business here in Washington with which you may be familiar, the name of which is on this letterhead. It offended me as a businessman to see the snafu conditions in the parks. We were told at each park that a concessionaire was in charge, and in many places the same concessionaire had been running the food and overnight hotel facilities for many years-in some cases since before the park was owned by the Federal Government. Just contrast what I have touched upon with the kind of service that you get in a modern American hotel, such as one in the Hilton or Statler chains. Our country's great hotel chains make reservations by teletype. There is no need to write long distances and then have your correspondence misunderstood.

This country is famous for its great resorts and I cannot accept the fact that most of our park hotels are closed 6 or 8 months of the year as an excuse for poor service. Most resorts are seasonal in nature. The great strings of hotels in Miami are mostly empty half the year, yet when you go there, you find excellent food and the best of service in most cases. I feel convinced that there is enough business know-how, enough aggressive business in this country to solve the problem of poor hotel and restaurant service in our parks. I would like to suggest than an advisory committee be formed to guide the National Park Service in this problem. Members of such an advisory committee should be recruited from the country's leading hotel chains and from hotel management consultant firms, hotel accounting firms, and other top business leaders.

When I left the West to return to Washington, I flew by jet from Denver and Chicago on a United Airlines plane. The food was prepared in the United Airlines flight kitchen in Denver, and was so far superior to any meal we had in the national parks that it drove home the problem so forcefully what I have been describing. Why not invite the best business brains in America to help you solve this problem? I feel that a good sha' eup is needed among the present concessionaires. I doubt if it is wise for the Government to have the same concessionaire, year after year, decade after decade. It seems to me that a rotation of concessionaires every 3 or 4 years would shake up these businessmen and cause them to provide better service.

It seems extremely urgent to me that more facilities be provided in the parks. Everywhere we went, the parks were overcrowded. Most of the better accommodations had been reserved weeks or even months in advance. With all the new roads that are being built in America, and with the advent of jets throughout America's airways, I think you can expect a literal deluge of visitors into the parks, provided you establish adequate facilities.

In commenting on the parks, I must not let this occasion go by without complimenting the Park Service on the quality of its rangers and naturalists. I never ran into a better organized group of men-polite, courteous, intelligent, and obliging in every way. Ranger Dale Smith at the Grand Canyon was particularly outstanding.

I have made a considerable number of notes about the parks we visited and would be pleased to discuss them with you at any time at your convenience. Sincerely yours,

RICHARD ENGLAND.

Secretary UDALL. I told you the American people speak up, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. BROOKS. Yes, sir. I talked to this man on the phone at some length yesterday.

He writes a very, very good letter. I am sure you enjoyed it.

I will say this: He is supposed to be here and what he said was, "I would like for my wife to come because she feels even more strongly about it than I do." I don't know if she will be here.

In his letter he suggested something that might be worth considering seriously, the formation of an advisory committee which would not necessarily cost the Government a penny, to guide the National Park Service in this problem which they seem to be having a little difficulty solving. Members of such an advisory committee could be recruited from the country's leading hotel chains, hotel management consulting firms, accounting firms, business people and it would have a dual purpose. If you got some of the food chains interested, some of the better restaurant and hotel people interested, in an advisory group, Mr. Secretary, they might be interested after they find out about the potential in the national parks. They might be interested in competitive bids and making suggestions and offering to come in and provide some of these services for the American people at prices we could afford. What do you think about it offhand?

Secretary UDALL. Mr. Chairman, there is a lot of food for thought. in this letter. I am sure that it is obvious that this is a businessman who has high standards, is very discriminating and he likes the parks. I think this does underscore some of the problems that we have. Any time you have a monopoly situation, you do not have competition, there is a tendency for some of these people to perhaps not provide the type of alert service needed.

There are a lot of other things that can be said. For example, take Yellowstone Park, which is in the high mountain country. It cannot be open all year. It can only be open for a short period of time. Most of these people that are working there in the parks, as waitresses and in all the other jobs, are college kids, many of whom are recommended by Members of Congress.

Mr. BROOKS. Not by me. I have not sent any out.

Secretary UDALL. They are fine people. But without going further, Mr. Chairman, this has started some thought processes of my own. I do think that our discussion here this morning has indicated that there is need for a lot of rethinking in this whole field. I think this is a very constructive letter.

Mr. BROOKS. I will say, Mr. Secretary, we appreciate your attitude. I will say again in behalf of the committee we are delighted to see you make progress in the Department of Interior. It is a tough assignment, one that you have handled well for the administration. I will say we are glad you could be back with us. I wish you would

come more often.

Secretary UDALL. Just invite me.

Mr. NEDZI. I have just one thought. Several weeks ago a constituent dropped by. He was on a camping trip. He wanted to camp

89028-62-pt. 3

outside of Washington. He advised me that camping facilities in this general area are extremely poor. Is there any prospect of a national park being opened someplace for this purpose? It would seem to me highly desirable, this being a shrine in the country. People come from all over the world and they should not be precluded from visiting Washington, D.C., because of expensive accommodations, whereas campsites would be highly desirable.

Secretary UDALL. Congressman, one of the really encouraging things I think in this country in the last few years is this tremendous interest in camping. I think this is a very healthy thing, a wonderful thing. We are behind in the national parks generally in providing camping. We are trying to catch up but there are more campers in some parts of the season, the height of the season, than there are places to camp. I had not realized that a lot of these people who have their camping equipment who come here were having a problem.

We do have some areas nearby where there might be camping facilities constructed, but this is one of the ongoing problems we are going to have, providing adequate facilities for these campers, both in national parks and in the national forests.

Mr. NEDZI. Do you think off the top of your head that this should receive some kind of priority in light of significance of the Nation's Capital, the world's capital?

Secretary UDALL. Secretary Carver tells me, and this is the thought I had myself, Prince William Forest is on down the way, a very fine area that the National Capital Parks has now. There is also an area in Greenbelt where I think we should have more facilities. What I was trying to say, this is not only a Washington problem, it is a problem in the American outdoors. This is the reason we are having to make a big effort to keep up with this tremendous interest of American people in the out of doors. I think this is one of the really healthy things that is happening in the country today.

(Subsequently, the Interior Department submitted the following statement, exhibit 9:)

EXHIBIT 9-STATEMENT ON EXISTING AND PROJECTED CAMPING FACILITIES IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

EXISTING FACILITIES

The Potomac Park Motor Court, Washington, D.C.—At the Potomac Park Motor Court, established in 1923, there are camping facilities consisting of 48 camping sites. The area also contains water and comfort station facilities. A charge of $0.50 per person is made for camping at this site. (Owing to projected sewer construction, this camping area may not be available for the 1963 season.)

The Turkey Run Ridge Camp Grounds, Prince William Forest Park, Va.-This area consists of 11 campsites consisting of tables, fireplaces, and trash receptacles, and 6 group sites serving 350 campers. It also contains a central water supply and central comfort stations. There is no charge for camping.

Shenandoah National Park.-Although located some distance from Washington, many people make use of the camping area at Shenandoah. There are 19 campsite areas, accommodating 358 people. One stay is limited to 10-14 days.

Timber Lake, Oakton, Va.-Timber Lake, while privately owned, serves campers with following facilities: 40-50 campsites with tables nearby and comfort stations.

PROJECTED CAMPING FACILITIES

The Oak Ridge Camp Grounds at Prince William Forest Park, Quantico, Va.This area is under development and will be ready for the 1963 season. It will include 120 campsites, each consisting of a fireplace, table, and space for 1 tent.

The facility will also include three comfort stations and a small amphitheater where evening interpretive programs can be given. This area should be of considerable use to tourists who are visiting in the National Capital area. There is no charge for camping.

Greenbelt Park, Md.-There is also planned for the 1963 season, 30 campsites at Greenbelt Park, Md. In addition to the individual campsites this area will also have access to a comfort station. There is no charge for camping.

Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Secretary, I notice that while we were in this discussion Mr. England has come in. I would say, Mr. England, that we have already introduced your letter and the Secretary felt that there was considerable food for thought. He said that it was an area that needed some rethinking. He has not said yet he is going to do it. Secretary UDALL. My training as a Congressman, Mr. Chairman. Mr. BROOKS. He was giving you the business on that very nicely. He did not say he thought your idea of having an advisory committee of competent people who admit that they are competent and make a living at it would be a bad group to advise the National Park Service on how they could have better food at prices that people would be pleased, or at least willing to pay.

Secretary UDALL. Let me say, Mr. Chairman, while Mr. England is here, because I told him this letter had a very fine tone to it, very constructive. I get letters like this, all of them not as good as this one, right along, when the summer season comes. There is a bit of room for improvement, no question at all about it, in the facilities that we provide. I do not have time to discuss all the details with him but this has and I am not saying idle words, Mr. Chairman, when I indicate to you that as far as I am concerned I think there is plenty of room, and I intend that it is going to be done by my people, to take a fresh look at this whole problem to see what we can do to remedy it. Maybe the advisory board idea that he suggested is a good approach to it; maybe it isn't. I am not expert enough to know just sitting here reading the letter. I would like to talk to my people about it. I think I can assure him and assure the committee that we are not going to sit by with the attitude that what exists is good enough and that the American people are just going to have to get by. Part of the problem as I pointed out-I do not know whether you are fully aware of this, in terms of most of the national parks that you went to, particularly those that are seasonal, and some of them have to be seasonal; you could not keep Yellowstone Park open all the year. You could not operate it on a businesslike basis but most of the people who are employed in these seasonal parks are young college kids. They are not the best service personnel. This is not their business. Some of them may be employed by the concessionaires. We employ a lot of them. Inevitably you do not get the type of service that you would get at the Hilton Hotel because you have a different type of people. It is a different type arrangement but I know there is plenty of room for improvement. I am glad to have this type of statement from the very responsible citizens such as yourself.

Mr. BROOKS. Did you want to add anything to your letter, Mr. England, any more pertinent comments about the possibility of extending the season in areas where they have short seasons?

Mr. ENGLAND. I would like to say a word or two. My first word is to tell the Secretary that I did not mean to embarrass him in any way. I received a call yesterday and at your request I am here today. My letter was directed to you and it was the effort of a citizen to try

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