UNITED STATES               - 
                  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
                          NATIONAL PARK SERVICE                     . 
                              WASHINGTON 25, D.C. 
                                                          March 9, 1945.

 
 
 
Mr. Robert F. Griggs, Chairman 
     Division of Biology and Agriculture, 
          National Research Council, 
               2101 Constitution Avenue, 
                    Washington 25, D.C. 
 
Dear Mr. Griggs: 
 
     In reply to your letter of February 27, I wish to state that I am in

full accord with your idea that a committee should be appointed to study

the problem of the possible effect of the airplane in roadless and wilder-

ness areas. It is something which vitally affects the National Park Serv-

ice and it is a privilege to be able to make the following suggestions 
for membership in such a committee: 
 
Myron H. Avery, Comdr., USNR. Office of the Judge Advocate General, 
          Washington 25, D.C. 
Phillip H. Ellwood, Iowa State College, Amos, Iowa. 
Laurie D. Cox, Professor, State College of Forestry, Syracuse, New York.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Elkton, Maryland. 
Shirley W. Allen, Professor, School of Forestry and Conservation, 
          University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 
Irving Clark, Belleview, Washington. 
Duncan McDuffie, Sierra Club, 1OO M1ills Tower, San Francisco 4, California.

Olaus Murie, Jackson, Vitoming. 
Emanuel Fritz, University of California, Berkeley, California. 
Aldo - Leopold, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. 
William P. Wharton, Groton, Massachusetts. 
 
     Of course it is the hope of this Service to prevent the building of

landing fields on lands within natural areas of the National Park System.

I do not see how we can make any pretense of maintaining a wilderness 
atmosphere if we permit, or are unable to prevent, the intrusion of this

machine into areas now held in wilderness status. The material that you 
furnished with your letter brings to mind that there are some situations

where any chance of complete control may be impaired by the presence of 
private lands within our boundaries. Added to this we have lakes in virtu-

ally all of our back country 'which are large enough and well enough sit-

uated from the safety standpoint to be used by hydroplanes in their present

stage of development. In view of this, your information about the control

of navigable and non-navigable lakes and streams is of great interest, as

is the situation regarding "Airspace Reservations."