Wilderness Society 
                         1840 Mintwood Place, Washington, D. C. 
 
 
 
        WILDERNESS NEWS 
 
                            For Use of Members of the Society 
 
   Robert Sterling Yard                                               June
15, 
      Editor                      NUMBER       4                        1937

 
 
                 NEW LIGHT ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN 
 
                    NATIONAL PARK TUNNEL THREAT 
 
 
     News about the Rocky Mountain National Park Tunnel! 
 
     Not yet about its status in this Congress, whether it will ride in astride
of 
the House Appropriations Bill as it did last year, a veritable "old
man of the 
sea", or march in normally as a separate bill; or what number will designate
it. 
Its promoters still conceal locating details in hope of catching Congress
and the 
country unaware. 
 
     The news is that there is another way around. 
 
     Instead of exploding its course through the Rocky Mountain National
Park, des- 
troying the safety precedents of the entire system, the tunnel can just as
well go 
around south of the park. The Reclamation Service knew this fact but concealed
it 
to save two expensive miles. The United States Government will pay in the
first 
instance the $60,000,000 which it is now believed that this tunnel'will cost,
but 
the Reclamation laws will expect the beet growers who profit to repay it
eventually. 
 
     Until now, none have dared to set a cash valuation on our incomparable
system 
of National Primeval Parks. In the South Platte Valley of Colorado, however,
and 
in certain Senate offices, it is now definitely priced at two miles of tunnel.

 
     For these and other thrilling facts we are indebted to an editorial
in the 
current number of the National Parks Bulletin. 
 
     There, you will also find that the much-quoted proviso in the act creating
the 
Rocky Mountain National Park which authorized the Reclamation Service to
enter the 
park for Government irrigation, referred only to a Grand Lake irrigation
project on 
the west side which was abandoned in 1921. 
 
     Many organizations in their eagerness for defense cannot wait till the
Sugar 
Beeters set up a numbered bill, but pass vigorous resolutions at once. These
reso- 
lutions, in view of the secrecy of the Sugar Beet program, may be sent to
the Chairmen 
of the Appropriations (Sen. Carter Glass and Rep. J. P. Buchanan); House
Committee 
on Appropriations (Rep. E. T. Taylor); Public Lands Committee (Sen. A. B.
Adams and 
Rep. R. L. DeRouen); and Irrigation and Reclamation Committees (Sen. J. H.
Bankhead 
and Rep. C. I. White).  And to all members of their State delegations in
Congress. 
 
 
Also to the President of the United States.