Creator
John Muir
Recipient
[James R. Garfield]
Transcription
njoy, and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast: to publish authentic information concerning them: to enlist the co-operation of the people and the Government in preserving the forests and other natural [illegible] the Sierra Nevada Mountains."
Board of Directors --- 1907-1908
Mr. John Muir President . . . . Martinez
Prof. A. G. McAdie, Vice-President . San Francisco
Prof. J. N. Le Conte, Treasurer . . . Berkeley
Mr. William E. Colby, Secretary . . . Berkeley
Prof. Wm. F. Badè . . . . . Berkley
Prof. George Davidson . 2221 Washington St., S. F.
Prof. W. R. Dudley . . . Stanford University
Mr. Warren Olney . . . . . San Francisco
Mr. E. T. Parsons . University Club, San Francisco
Outing Committee
Mr. Wm. E. Colby, Chairman
Conte Mr. E. T. Parsons
Honorary Vice-Presidents
Prof. George Davidson . . . San Francisco
Mr. R. U. Johnson . . . The Century, New York
Pres. David Starr Jordan . . Stanford University
Mr. Gifford Pinchot . . . Washington, D. C.
Committee on Publications
Mr. Elliot McAllister, Editor . . San Francisco
Prof. Wm. F. Badè, Book Reviews . . Berkley
Prof. Wm. R. Dudley, Forestry Notes . Stanford Univ.Mr. Alex. G. Elles Prof. H. W. Roise
Mr. E. T. Parsons Mr. Willoughby Rodman
SIERRA CLUB
2901 Channing Way
Berkley, Cal.
San Francisco, September 20, 1907.
Report of the Sierra Club committee appointed by the President at a meeting of the directors held in San Francisco August 31, 1907.
Whereas, the Yosemite National Park was created by act of Congress, October 8th, 1S90 in order that the unrivaled aggregation of scenic features of this great natural wonderland should be preserved in pure wildness for all time for the benefit of the entire nation; and
Whereas, an application has been made to this Department by certain local interests to utilize Hetch Hetchy Valley as a reservoir site for the purpose of obtaining a municipal water-supply for the City of San Francisco, and thus flooding the entire floor of the Valley;
Whereas, Hetch Hetchy Valley, far from being "a common meadow", "a minor feature" as claimed by applicants, is a counterpart of Yosemite and a great and wonderful feature of the Park next to Yosemite in beauty, grandeur and importance;
Whereas, the floor of Hetch Hetchy like that of Yosemite is a beautiful landscape park diversified by magnificent groves, gardens and flowery meadows in charming combinations specially adapted for pleasure-camping; and
Whereas, this wonderful valley is the focus of pleasure travel in the large surrounding area of the Park, and all the trails from both the south and the north lead into and through this magnificent camp-ground, and though now accessible only by trails, it is visited by large numbers of campers and travelers every summer, and after a wagon-road has been made into it, and its
"""To explore, enjoy, and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast; to publish authentic information concerning them; to enlist the support and co-operation of the peusilc and the Government in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sie rra Nevada Mountains.""
Board of Directors-1907-1908
Mr. John Muir, President .... Martinez
Prof. A. G. McAdie, Vice-President . San Francisco
Prof. J. N. Le Conte, Treasurer . Berkeley
Mr. William E. Colby. Secretary . Berkeley
Prof. Wm. P. Bade . . . . . Berkley
Prof. George Davidson . 2221 Washington St., S. F.
Prof. W. R. Dudley . . . Stanford University
Mr. Warren Olney . . . . San Francisco
Mr. E. T. Parsons . University Club. San Francisco
Outing Committee
Mr. Wm. E. Colby, Chairman
Prof. J. N. La Conte Mr. B. T. Parsons
Honorary Vice-Presidents
Prof. George Davidson San Francisco
Mr. R. U. Johnson . . The Century. New York
Pres. David Starr Jordan . Stanford University
Mr. Gifford Pinchot Washington. D. C.
Committee on Publications
Mr. Elliott McAllister. Editor San Francisco
Prof. Wm. P. Bade, Book Reviews Berkeley
Prof. Wm. R. Dudley. Forestry Notes . Stanford Univ.
Mr. Alex. O. Bella Prof. H. W. Roise
Mr. B. T. Parsons Mr. Willoughby Rodman
SIERRA CLUB
2901 Channing Way
Berkeley, Cal.
wonders become better known it will be visited by countless thousands of admiring travelers from all parts of the world;
Whereas, if dammed and submerged 175 feet deep as proposed, Hetch Hetchy would be rendered utterly inaccessible for travel, since no road could be built around the borders of the reservoir without tunnelling through solid granite cliffs; and
Whereas, these camp-grounds would be destroyed and access to other important places to the north and south of the Valley interfered with, and the gate-way of the sublime Tuolumne Canyon leading up to the grand Central High Sierra Camp-ground the Upper Tuolumne Valley would be completely blocked and closed; and
Whereas, no greater damage could be done to the great National Park excepting the damming of Yosemite itself; and
Whereas all of the arguments advanced in favor of making Hetch Hetchy into a reservoir could be made to apply with equal force to the case of making Yosemite into a reservoir, except that the cost of a dam in the latter case would be greater;
Whereas, such use would to a great extent, defeat the purpose and nullify the effect of the law creating the Park; andWhereas, the proponents of the San Francisco water scheme desire
"
"""To explore, enjoy, and render accessible the mountain regions of the Pacific Coast; to publish authentic information concerning them; to enlist the support and co-operation of the people and the Government in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.""
Board of Directors-1907-1908
Mr. John Muir, President .... Martinez
Prof. A. G. McAdie. Vice-President. San Francisco
Prof. J. N. Le Conte, Treasurer . . Berkeley
Mr. William B. Colby, Secretary . . . Berkeley
Prof. Wm. P. Badè . . . . Berkeley
Prof. George Davidson 2221 Washington St.. S. F.
Prof. W. R. Dudley . . . Stanford University
Mr. Warren Olney . . . . San Francisco
Mr. E. T. Parsons . University Club, San Francisco
Outing Committee
Mr. Wm. E. Colby. Chairman
Prof. J. N. Le Conte Mr. E. T. Parsons
Honorary Vice-Presidents
Prof. George Davidson . . . San Francisco
Mr. R. U. Johnson . . . The Century, New York
Pres. David Starr Jordan . . Stanford University
Mr. Gifford Pinchot . . . Washington, D. C.
Committee on Publications
Mr. Elliott McAllister. Editor . . San Francisco
Prof. Wm. P. Badè, Book Reviews . . Berkeley
Prof. Wm. R. Dudley, Forestry Notes . Stanford Univ.
Mr. Alex. O. Eells Prof. H. W. Roise
Mr. B. T. Parsons Mr. Willoughby Rodman
SIERRA CLUB 2901 Channing Way Berkeley, Cal.
the use of Hetch Hetchy, not because water as pure and abundant cannot be obtained elswhere, but because, as they themselves admit, the cost would be less; and
Whereas, we do not believe that the vital interests of the nation at large should be sacrificed and so important a part of its National Park destroyed to save a few dollars for local interests: therefore be it
Resolved, that we are opposed to the use of Hetch Hetchy Valley as a reservoir site, and devoutly pray that the application of the San Francisco board of supervisors to the Hon. Secretary of the Interior may be denied.
Signed
[illegible]
Mr. William E. Colby
Prof. J.N. Le Conte
Frof. Wm. P. Bade
Mr. E.T. Parsons
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Directors of the Sierra Club.
The Honorable Secretary of the Interior.
Respectfully submitted."
Location
San Francisco
Date Original
1907 Sep 20
Source
Original letter dimensions unknown.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to [James R. Garfield], 1907 Sep 20." (1907). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 3775.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/3775
Resource Identifier
muir16_1043-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 1043
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
Owning Institution
National Archives. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
3 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
