UNITED STATES 
              DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
                     NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 
                          WASHINGTON 
 
                               December 31,, 1934 
 
 
 
 
 Mr. Aldo Leopold, 
      University of Wisconsin, 
           Madison, disconsin. 
 
 Dear Leopold: 
 
      Your letter of December 18 came while I was on an inspection 
 trip of the proposed Everglades National Park. I am sorry that 
 it has not received more prompt attention since my return. 
 
      You are the second one who has written in relative to some 
 representative of the Park Service connected with submarginal land 
 purchase. The main confusing thing is that some of this work 
 comes under the direction of the Service but only has to do with 
 the purchase of State or County parks rather than with actual 
 national parks. It is hoped that useful recreation areas can be 
 secured but it is important that such projects be not identified 
 as being for national park status. 
 
     As indicated above, I have just returned from the former 
habitat of the Ivory-billed 'doodpecker. I inquired and found out 
that birds were seen at Royal Palm State Park about ten years ago 
but that then they disappeared. Everyone conversant with the 
situation is quite sure that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers still exist 
in the proposed Everglades National Park area. Since about 92 
per cent of all of the land area is tax delinquent there is a good 
possibility that a large area can be secured quickly. I am fully 
convinced of the fine conservation values involved in this area and 
a' anxious that it be made just as large as possible. There are 
plenty of sub-marginal lands in Florida and it may be that some of 
them can be procured for this park area. 
 
     I am turning over your letter to our Wildlife Division so 
that they may investigate further the possibilities along the 
Tennasas River in Tallulah Parish, Alabama. I am very grateful 
for the suggestion and please do not hesitate to send along 
similar ones. There is nothing more helpful to a project than 
to have good friends with ideas. 
 
                              Sincerely sours  a   _ 
 
 
                                 H. C. Bryant, 
 
                               Assistant Director.