00.05 
A NATIONAL TALLORASS PRAIRIE PRESERVE? 
MOTT, William Penn 
Director, National Parks Service 
SUMMARY 
The National Parks Service is spearheading a movement 
to   establish   a   significant preserve.    Present 
attention is focused on the Osage Hills area. Many 
conflicting interests are being harmonized. 
 
 
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to meet 
with you and discuss the efforts that are underway to 
preserve and manage those examples of prairie that 
remain from the once vast grasslands of this 
country. Also, I would like to congratulate each of 
you on the diverse and important activities that you 
are pursuing, both in grassland management and in 
assuring recognition of the need for quality prairie 
management. 
It is with considerable interest that I noticed the 
theme of this conference to be "Roots of Our Culture; 
Foundation of our Economy." The rich history of the 
Texas grasslands is well known, along with the 
cultural history of settlement and use of the 
prairie. We also are aware of the history of land 
use of the grasslands throughout this country and the 
fact that very little true prairie remains. I 
commend the efforts of those, such as the Native 
Prairies Association of Texas, which are arousing 
public concern for the preservation of our prairie 
areas. 
I have a long and deep interest in the protection of 
natural areas and the vital importance of maintaining 
an opportunity for natural diversity to continue. We 
are continually reminded of the many unknowns of 
nature and the importance that various species may 
have to mankind in the future. The many varied 
activities that you are involved with help to assure 
the presence of the prairie ecosystem and its past 
and future importance to our economy and history. 
As many of you know, efforts have been underway since 
the 19301s to establish a tallgrass prairie park or 
preserve under federal government management. Many 
studies have been undertaken, most of which were 
directed by the National Park Service. National Park 
Service Studies were first prompted by a 1958 
resolution by the Secretary of the Interior Advisory 
Board which recommended that grassland studies be 
pursued to identify "superlative areas" for inclusion 
as national monuments in the National Park System. 
In 1958 and 1959, a survey of the tallgrass prairie 
region was conducted to identify areas suitable for 
inclusion in the National Park System. Sites ranging 
from the Canadian border to Texas were evaluated. 
Study areas had to be at least 30,000 acres to 
qualify for necessary resources management. A 
"typical prairie" site had to contain representative 
topography, drainage systems, and had to support 
representative vegetation and wildlife. The areas 
also had to contain diverse and scenic landforms. 
The result of studies in the 1950's revealed that 
most typical and suitable sites were in the Flint 
Hills region of Kansas and Oklahoma. In 1960, the 
National Park Service issued a proposal for a 57,000 
acre preserve to be established in Pottawatomie 
County, Kansas. Due to lack of broad public support 
and development conflicts, the proposal was not acted 
upon by Congress. 
 
 
Other proposals and studies that have involved the 
tallgrass prairie preserve concept include the Great 
Plains/Prairie Tourway proposal, the Antelope Hills, 
North Dakota Study, and the Cherokee Strip Study. 
The National Park System Plan published in 1972 
identified the need and justification of a tallgrass 
prairie unit which would include important natural 
history and historic themes not represented in the 
National Park System. 
The National Park Service undertook an analysis of 
potential sites for a Tallgrass Prairie National Park 
in 1974-1975, prompted by requests from the Kansas 
congressional delegation. This major study resulted 
in an environmental assessment alternatives study for 
a proposed Prairie National Park, Kansas/Oklahoma. 
This document was published as House Document No. 
96-12, Part II in 1979. However, no specific 
legislative action resulted from this report from the 
Secretary of the Interior to Congress. 
The desirability of establishing a tallgrass prairie 
preserve has been widely recognized. I have stated 
that a tallgrass prairie unit of the National Park 
System should be one of our highest priorities; it is 
needed to make the system representative of America's 
major natural features. 
The current thrust to establish a prairie preserve is 
focused on the Osage Hills area of Oklahoma. 
Substantial national, state, and local public 
interest has developed for this preserve. Several 
local organizations, among them the Sierra Club and 
Audubon, are helping the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation 
and the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Association from 
Pawhuska, Oklahoma, have taken the lead in pursuing 
legislative enactment. In 1985, Oklahoma Senator Don 
Nickles established a local task force group to 
evaluate the possibility of enacting a prairie park. 
In July 1985, the group responded favorably to 
Senator Nickles, who has supported some form of 
prairie park concept. 
The Osage Hills area provides an outstanding 
opportunity for preserving a substantial area of 
prairie grassland much the same as it was prior to 
settlement of this county. The entire county is a 
reservation for the Osage Indians and all subsurface 
mineral rights are held in reserve by the Secretary 
of the Interior for the benefit of the Osage. The 
primary land uses of this area have been cattle 
ranching and oil production. Both industries are 
presently faced with economic difficulties and many 
are considering tourism as a new economy for the 
area. 
The Osage will provide an ideal prairie preserve 
location to interpret to the visiting public the 
history of plains settlement, Indian relocation and 
policy, the cattle industry, oil and gas production