must watch this trend carefully in planning our parks and recreation
areas for future generations.

The needs of our State Department of Forests and Parks are being
recognized. They are based on a master plan which is used as a
guide in the acquisition of land for public recreation areas. But
ther are further needs. I am advised by the experts that the present
holdings of the State perhaps should be doubled just to take care
of the requirements of the present. Whether this be the case or not,
there is no doubt that we are going to be compelled to expand our
recreational lands greatly within the next few years.

I am interested in outdoor recreation for a number of reasons, but
primarily because of its effect upon our society. We must encourage
sound minds in sound bodies if we expect to maintain a healthy
society. I am interested in it, too, because of its social and economic
potential. Maryland is situated favorably in the middle of our East
Coast economic areas. Because of this, it is possible to think that
the attractive recreational facilities we are providing may have a
chance of paying their own way. We have an excellent highway sys-
tem now, and we are building more roads each year. This makes it
possible for people to reach areas which were not accessible to them
in years past. These highways open new areas to tourists, who on
their visits to our beautiful and pleasant State spend their money
with us, helping our local economy and adding to the income of our
citizens.

Our own Maryland people usually spend a couple of dollars in
the communities through which they pass, or at the place where they
stop on a trip to a forest or park. From all the reliable information,
it appears that visitors from out of the State spend much more on
gasoline, films, lodging, food and various other purchases made dur-
ing long tours or travels. Some of them even bring new business to
states and communities where they find local living and recreation
possibilities to their liking or to the liking of people they might enjoy.

As I stated before, we in the State government acknowledge that
with more and longer paid vacations and shorter work weeks, the
demands on our facilities for outdoor recreation will continue to
grow. I am told that already there has been an enormous increase
in family use of the camping facilities in our State parks and forest
recreation areas. Last year, according to figures reported to me, 180, -
176 persons used our camps. Many of our camping areas already are
loaded beyond the normal limits during the season because camping

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