Transcripts For CSPAN2 Frederick 20240704

Im delighted to move us to our second panel the Conservation Movement in state and National Parks and we are lucky to have lauren meyer or historian and Landscape Architectsts serving s moderator to kick off this event. Lauren has a longstanding relationship with the olmstead having edited the list of Design Projects which were just mentioned as well as part of the near 12 volume thousands and thousands of pages. He is currently the cochair of the nonprofit partner of National Historic sites and with that welcome lauren. Thank you enough i can figure out the technology here i will pull up the next i might need someone. [inaudible conversations] there it is. Right in the middle. Welcome everyone to session to. Im going to kick off this panel covering sort of a flyover of the role of the olmstead and the National Park service. Followed by scholar and historian Hope Christian who looked into the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. And ending with sam hodder who will talk about the important historic and current work saving the redwoods in california. We are going to do this panel boom, boom, boom. In order to create the most impossible for questions from all of you. During olmstead 200 we celebrate the bicentennial of Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. So ill begin with three areas in which 19th century precedent by olmstead contributed to the development of the National Park service. Some of these you have of course heard before. First we are previously about frederick laws olmstead reservation such as niagara and yosemite feeling it was an important responsibility ofer government to create parks for people in the healing power of natural scenery. Care to other areas of the olmstead for the olmstead firm influence the National Park service and is the first fullscale office of Landscape Architecture at the olmstead firm that developed space design process. Integrated Landscape Architecture and preservation into a single project that transformed a given place into a park. Their approach from the basis for conserving large areas with carefully designed public access. This n was emulated and expanded by the National Park service inc the 20th century in the development of park planning for through the creation of general plans as well as more detailed study for individual park ability. Third olmsteads collaboration with architects h. H. Riverton resulted in part parks that were enhanced with architectural features inspired by their natural settings. And utilizing local materials. The connection between the olmstead firm design aesthetic and the rustic architecture of the National Park service has been wellcumented by many including Linda Mcclellan Laura Harrison but the National Park service brought the design to new heights sometimes called architecture giving the early National Park a distinctive architectural feel and character. If it Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. Was one of the founding members of the society of Landscape Architecture and Charles Olmsted served as first president. In 1915 they formed a Committee Committee on National Parks and National Forests and in 1916 devoted their annual meeting to the discussionna of national pas articlesst presented by olmsted jr. Lauren Manning James sturgis and Henry Hubbard all called for an organized systematic approach to creating National Parks, the fundamental goal of preserving natural scenery in using the art of Landscape Architecture to successfully design new parks. Olmsted also wrote about the importance of the distinction between National Parks and National Forests and im referring to olmsted jr. At that time there were already approximately 14 National Parks and 28 National Monument but their administration was fractured as we heard earlier from departments of interior, water and agriculture. And i forgot to mention following the meeting olmsted worked collaboratively with several legislators and park advocates to draft legislation that would create National Park service. Olmsteds contribution to the act the legislation that created the National Park but that we know today is its statement of purpose. The olmsted firm was involved in National Parks in many ways which included external and internal advocacy and when i say external and mean working among outside of the National Park service through organizations and congress to advocate and protect existing parks as well as advocating for new ones. Olmsted jr. Was embroiled on the controversy even before the organic act and Elizabeth Cushing can talk more aboutt that. City officials increased their efforts to expand these Water Supplies in the valley in the northwest part of the asem at a National Park is the best option. Olmsted was called uponll by may to help fight the proposal. From 1910 to 1915 he wrote letters to members of congress to enjoy with Many National leaders on the project. The most eloquent on this objection was a lengthy editorial with the transcript noting the damage to the scenery the valley a lack of definitive need for the project and the potential precedent it would create regarding private interests and public lands. Regardless the bill passed both houses in the senate and the project advanced. If Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. Role in the asa committees led to consultation with National Park Service Officials regarding the potential of the everglades is the new National Park. Earnest a Landscape Architect have been promoting the idea at the time when florida was undergoing a surge in population plan speculation. Legislation to investigate the everglades passed in 1929. Olmsted was simultaneously engaged in an adversarial dialogue with sterling yard of the National Park association who feltat National Parks should be based solely on profound natural scenery olmsted argued for a broader interpretation including a wide range ofpe landscape types and ecosystems and habitats including the everglades unique tropical ecosystem. He agreed to lead a special committee of the National Park association and in january 1932 olmsted and others embarked on an extensive trip by automobile motor cruiser small boat on foot and by the lamp and airplane to examine [laughter] in the photos are fabulous by the way. To examine hundreds of miles of the everglades. The outcome was a written resolution of the National Parko association by olmsted and the president William Wharton that conveyed the organization strong support and which have a critical impact on the passage of legislation to create the park. Olmsted jr. Prepared many planningng reports of the natiol park Service Related to the Current Conditions with recommendations for future actions. In 1929 he traveled to the territory of hawaii where where he made a detailed report on various issues related to Design Planning with a focus on the section of the island of hawaii part of what was then called the National Park established in 1915. Olmsted reported on the d challenges use and Park Development in the fragile setting is a significant cultural and Natural Resources and abdicated through preservation of species and their use in the planting process. He addressed the management of the park boundary recommending Design Review or areas visible from the park. He wrote extensively on the appropriate design of park facilities in order to preserve the essential quality of the park and for the creation of general plans for the resulting reportin is a thoughtful and thorough evaluation of park planning and design with the sensitive visual, cultural and ecological setting. The first and largest project undertaken by Frederick Olmsted jr. And his role has National Park service collaborator in official positions have he held from 1941 to 1950 is the Colorado River basin recreational projects. This project him at a time when the National Park service needed a representative to work cooperatively and collaboratively with other federal agencies around the complex issues of water rights, dam construction waterbased recreation and scenic preservation in the arid southwest. I think its very interesting to think that this project 30 years after the hetch hetchy controversy. Water was needed. Olmsted clearly wass so committd to the National Parks is a great outside entity to help facilitate the National Park service in this work. In his first set of assignments olmsted covered 3500 miles in 1941, resulting in a list of potential recreation sites from Steamboat Springs to the dinosaur National Monument and working and working continually through 1942 in 1943 covering a vast geographic area. He continued to consult on matters of water and recreation on the Colorado River and as latete as 1951 is asked to devep pros and cons related to the inclusion of the echo park and Split Mountain dam National Monument. In 1926 Stephen Mather asked olmsted jr. For assistance in evaluating the area inin the vicinity of the hotel in grand Canyon Village of the south rim. Daniel hall had taken over the design of the village and the National Park service remained concerned about the potential expansion of the hotel which was operated by concessionaire. Ol homesteads role was to assess if and how the hotel could expand without a detrimental effect on the park and its facilities. His primary concern was preservation and the arrival for visitors and also preserving the error placeable character of the canyon. He recommended separating a rival from internal circulations and the establishment of corridors keeping new development away and creating a flow conditions that would facilitate recovery of the landscape through read vegetation. Picking up on something that was talked about the grand canyon is one of the few parks, National Parks were olmsted jr. Was involved in land issues related to Indigenous Peoples when a asked the federal government to provide more suitable grazing land. What is interesting to notice that olmsted provided input because he was asked to solely based on the preservation of the park scenery but not on the merits of the proposal. The olmsted firm had the longest relationship with yosemite. Olmsted jr. Began officially inviting the National Park service as early as the 1920s related to conflicts in overcrowding in Yosemite Valley and i in 1928 he stepped in as e first chair of the committee of itexpert advisers a position he held intermittently through 1953. The committee which applied guidance and abroad plan for you somebody to ensure any preservation in with the National Parks under considered Part Development and increasing public use. Also gain the park service the opportunity to address outside criticism by selectingmm a committee of his critics couldor support. He served with duncan mcguffey on the california state park system and a geologist from caltech. The committee studied several locations of the park and advice on topics from recreation activities to public sanitation, too proposed cable way from the valley floor up to Glacier Point in blue of costly Road Construction which of course we know he opposed. This work was most often committed to the National Park service in the form of letters and reports. It did sometimes require solving sitespecific signsor for which olmsted jr. Took turns to confirm and felt as in the case of the parking area at this point. The proposed development of a new village in Yosemite Valley with respect to what public uses were appropriate where to locate new trails and how the vehicular circulation and placement of New Buildings would occur. The board also advised on road alignment to minimize scarring of the steep slopes and rock cliffs that would diminish the park scenic value often involving the development of design options. The olmsted firms work on the island and im just talking abouteg acadia began with bar island in 1908 but it was the work on the motor road that left the greatest imprint on the National Parks. In 1926 daniel hall and thomas dent visited the roadwork rockefeller jr. Was doing at his private estate on the island and this led to rockefellers patronage of the motor road. Rockefeller contacted the Olmsted Office in 1929 regarding the opportunity and over the next six years the olmsted completed design plans focus primarily on the motor road. Rockefeller hoped this would ensure protection of the serene Natural Beauty of the island with the olmsted brothers also served as a neutral party, to mediate differencess of opinion with george story the parks first superintendent per. Perhaps you see a little scene here. And in 1937 the National Park Service Director road to olmsted jr. Regarding design of a memorial for rockefeller at the newly established mountain National Park. Rs of course this was also funded by Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. The newfound gap site was selected and the new design created stone terraces built into the hillside that would provide outstanding gaps. Construction the memorial began in 1939 with local labor and local stone and served as settings for the dedication of the park by fdr in 1940. The National Park service also consulted with the olmsted firm regarding the pier of public roads plan for road in consulted Landscape Architects to assist with the design and in 19151 of olmsted jr. s last projects at the National Park was the development of and policy on wilderness values and National Parks that was necessitated by public concern regarding the preservation of the south appalachian and smoky mountains. As you heard earlier the Olmsted Brothers Firm made a significant contribution to the public landscape of the National Capitol now managed by the park service. In 1901 and olmsted jr. Was appointed to the macmillan also notice the senate park commission. In 1910 u. S. Commission on fine arts andl in 1926 the National Capitol planning commission. The firm undertook Design Projects in the vicinity of the mall, the parks the Washington Monument the Jefferson Memorial white house grounds and roosevelt island. While olmsted jr. Served on the Fine Arts Commission between 1910 and 1918 the firm carefully avoided Design Projects under their jurisdiction but he did often provide recommendations regarding how the landscape, Federal Building grounds in memorial should be treated. Olmsted jr. Provided recommendations for the white house grounds in 1928 which later designed work completed between 1934 and in 1935 by olmsted and Henry Hubbard during the fdr administration. The nps asked olmsted to start as an informal consultants to the Jefferson Memorial project ended 1938 they that hired the olmsted brothers as Landscape Architecture of the memorial with Henry Hubbard completing the majority of the work through 1941 and during multiple agreements over planting, traffic, workmanship and the governments construction certification. Frederick law olmsted, sr. And consider the appropriate treatmentoj of rock creek in projects undertaken through the National Zoological park in the 1917 the olmsted brothers undertook an effort to document the parkland preparing diagrams to analyze the landscape in a narrative report. Olmsted jr. And Edward Clark Whiting were largely responsible. Illustrations using the overlay methodme originally done by heny correct and showed conditions with the flap that could be lifted to reveal the proposed landscape treatment. Several Historic Sites with olmsteds involvement became part of the National Park system at a later date. This includes a 1913 design from Washington Square in philadelphia which was inc. In the independence National Historical park in 1991. In 1914 the mayor of baltimore as the olmsted brothers to assist with the design of the landscape report in the vicinity of the Francis Scott key monument that included road designs, grading and planting. Frederick law olmsted jr. Evaluated proposals for the treatment of George Washingtonn birthplace in 1928 and by the Wakefield National Memorial Association in advance of the 1932 bicentennial which was funded in part also by David Rockefeller jr. Olmsteds objection to the conjectural reconstruction of the Wakefield House shed considerable light on the erpreservation of philosophy grounded in a commitment of authenticity and the historical record. Frederick law olmsteds home in austin became a unit of the National Park service in 1979 and 1980. You heard from jane neumann, the olmsted firm had abdicated for the National Post advocated for the National Part part of which many the olmsted firms partners are active as well as design and planning projects directly for the National Park service. While Frederick Law Olmsted jr. Contributed the most to the entire portfolio of National Parks work he was by no means the only individual in the firm to do so. The olmsted firm had established a National Association of the importance of scenic preservation a broader t understanding of the diversity of the ecosystem and landscape type that would make suitable National Parks, the importance of preserving historic and archaeological sites using appropriate methods, the critical need for National Parks from an easy distance of major urban populations in the role of sitespecific obtainable design to address safe and appropriate actions at the National Parks. I think you will hear some overlap in our panel but i think what is fun for me and that is that you will see some of these issues through a variety of different lenses. So with that id like to turn the podium over to hope cushing. [applause] hello. Im delighted to be here today and to celebrate the olmsteds and conservation in america i better do my thing first. I forgot. I may have go down here. I particularly want to thank the exuberant celebrations of the Olmsted Senior Center and for including Frederick Olmsted jr. And be in this particular program. The younger olmsted called rick wasrl early on in salt of lifelg tutelage of his father combined as it was with the same exposure to unspoiled landscapes and Outdoor Activities throughout his growing up years. From an early age he was kept apprised of his fathers commissions including conservation efforts which proved an eager and app pupil and for the duration of his life a significant amount of time reflecting upon the lessons he had absorbed and building upon those contemplations throughgh s own subsequent considerations of conservation matters. Sharpened as they were by his awareness of the expansion of human habitation that rapidly transformed and compromise landscapes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Enhanced by a summer job at the United States surveyed deep in the colorado mountains in 1894 and through his association with forestry experts Gilbert Gifford pinchot and carl schenk during his 1894 and 95 apprenticeship at biltmore in north carolina. His exposure in training and experience provided a natural passion of and the founding and rapidly unfolding city in planning and establishing Landscape Architectural education in america. He lived these transformations every day honing his far ranging practical and aesthetic aesthetically oriented intellect and sensibility that facilitate his role in modern planning. Key to this approach in all landscape matters it should be remembered with this embrace of continuously balancing practical necessity with the safeguarding of beauty. Beginning in 1903 there was a forceful call to the tamale river in order toid provide watr in San Francisco. When the debate reached congress inul 1913 with powerful voices n bothth sides went to wilderness places fighting force weakens the flooding of the valley. Although he had considered himself open to arguments for responsibly combining utility and Natural Beauty in wilderness places he was firm in hisev opinion that such deviation must be accomplished without harmful environmental sites in question. Hetch hetchy he wrote with its distinctive scenic charm would be irreparably injured by the alteration. The last century he wrote in the evening transcript quote has shown such an enormous increase in depreciation of an resort to the wilder and less manhandled scenery as a means of recreation from the intensifying strain of our civilization and the amount of is a rapidly shrinking that its a a russian unconservative thing in the present time of transition to abandon or make over into an essentially any scenery that has once been deliberately set apart to be saved as a sample for prosperity. As well he concluded altering the valley would set an inauspicious precedent. Well, that battle was ultimately thrown off course would have had the effect of further and in devising are the active advocates for the establishment of whatl they initially called the National Park bureau. Although as a member of the newly established commission of fine arts of rick olmsted felt he was the he worked with more Public Advocates over the following years during repeated attempts to formulate and pass a bill that wouldld establish an independent entity to protect existing parks and create and protect wilderness areas in conjunction with the 45th state keeping of National Monuments divided by the act of 1906. In 1911 he was asked to write a letter to eliminating priorities for the bureau. The strongest suggestion he made was for what he called the importance of the night quote osome kind of unmistakable term with the primary purpose for which parks and monuments are set aside. Accompanied by a prohibition of any cues which is directly or enter a gleely in conflict with that primary purpose. He ultimately in point of fact ultimately it was he who provided those insights to crucial and subsequently quoted words for the National Park service he wrote would promote and regulate National Parks and monuments and preservation which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as leaving them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Although successful passage of the National Park Service Organic act in 1960 depended upon the compromise allowing for grazing, and scientific managementag of parks preferably in remote areas where parks were centered after this time olmsted himself remained committed to preserving as muchch as possible without such intrusion. By this time of th bills passage thelm olmsted firm in particular was involved with the development of Plant Community in palos verdes california deepening the already developing to the western United States. Ar in the early 1920s the olmsted jr. Family consisting of himself his wife sarah and garda charlotte moved to the area and while he still traveled a great deal the family began putting down roots in that environment. Shortly before their move rick the month of july and august in 1921 to ring National Parks and remember to the National Park service including yosemite where he wanted to see firsthand how the construction of dams on federal land in response to the federal power act of 1920 was put into practice. From sequoia National Park and into kings canyon verse by automobile and then through a series of strenuous horse trekking trips he writes home in lyrical passages to his wife and daughter of his devotion to end off of the unspoiled portion of westernn lands. Two years later speaking of that trip to the American Civic Association in a talk entitled the use of an experienced outsider, the usually olmsted revealed an unusually overt heartfelt manner his deepest feelingsld about the unspoiled Natural World and i quote no matterer how impressive the one thing which made the deepest impression on me and which i believe toto be the most prized recreational quality of these reservations was a sense of freedom and independence they gave to be free and to know that one is free but is own right as a human being without trespass or intrusion to go where the spirit moves uphill and down fails in any direction day after day unhedged untrammeled by the vaccine artificial web of Property Rights in the other restrictions of personal liberty which accredits civilization is built to keep live from chaos. More than anything else is to calmco nerves in cool the temperate and rest the mind of the ordinary modern civilized man harassed by his struggles grown too complex for him to understand it in its entirety unquote. He had garda clarified his unwavering position on the equally important. Fundamentally different functions of the National Forest in National Parks. In the 1960 the American Society of Landscape Architects in the aca he reiterated his conviction National Forests he said are set apart for economic ends and their use for recreation is a byproduct properly secured only insofarre as it does not interfe with the economic efficiency of park management. National parks in contrast are set apart primarily in order to preserve the opportunity of a peculiar kind of enjoyment andoy recreation not measurable in obeconomic terms. Only from the remarkable scenery of which they contained unquote. Despite the sharp distinctions mostly made between policies for the two entities olmsteds developmentem and forestry never sees 31934 for forester from the United States park service wrote perhaps the single minute contemporary American Life is given more constructive thought to the subject of forestry mattersms than has Frederick Law Olmsted. Ashe early as 1903 long before e moved to california olmsted advice had been sought by the Outdoor League of california in their efforts to to preserve the redwood groves along the northern coast. Eight years after the Redwood League founded in 1918 the new president newton gyori brought olmsted and is an adviser resulting in serving on its board for 29 years. In 1943 olmsted was hired by the week along with former chief forester of United States colonel henry s. Graves to meet the farreaching survey and report for redwood conservation. The following year when the garden club america focused on the idea of purchasing a grove of redwoods to honor americans in world war ii it was to the league they turned to purchase establish and manage their memorial. The league interested olmsted with selecting location. After his usual thorough survey of the entire northern coastal redwoods he recommended the site four miles from the coast. The subsequent Fundraising Efforts byhe l the week in the garden club of america reason up to preserve 5000 acres. , creeks and redwoods parks. The olmsted grave survey wrote wrote became the quote of redwood conservation not only in california but in other states asat well. Significant as his long years of championing california redwoods and conservation was they could be argued the most consequential impact of his work with the California State Parks committee quickly morphed into the California State Parks commission it was a group consisting of businessmen, conservationists and government officials together tot discuss the predicament of rapid unregulated growth across the state beginning in 1925. Enlightened citizens and officials concerned for the Historical Monuments of the state as well s as the daring ad unique natural features succeeded in getting a 6 milliondollar bond passed in order to fund a conference of statewide survey of potential parklandnt sites and to plan for their subsequent acquisition. When the bill passed in january of 1927 they immediately hired olmsted to spearhead the survey. They gave him one year until december 1928 to complete the entire enterprise. Remembering the vast expanse of california it wasnt is astonishing to contemplate such a task especially given the fact that the commission allowed olmsted a mere 15,000 a year to complete the entire project. The ever resourceful olmsted immediately devised a system for covering the greater part of the state with the scalable staff of lionsgate architecture all working out lower than normal rates supplemented he said by periodic help from the olmsted firm staff. He divided the area to be recovered in 12 districts andqut his suggestion the quote elected and appointed representative citizens throughout the state interested a wellinformed on the general subject to act as advisers. These representatives in turn recruited close to 200 volunteered advisers men and women who gave their time and travel expenses without charge. Consultations were made with civic organizations, public hearings and state and federal officialsof with a massive organizational feat spread across the state. In the end he declared quote despite the fact the limitations of time and funds sometimes were less thorough than would have been desirae. As always olmsted felt was essential for him to visit the proposed site and during the summer of 1928 p. Sarah and charlotte set out on frequent trips exploring topographicalal condition overwrote that differed in geography. With their newly behind the wheel charlotte said we drove all over california on all sorts of roads. One thing thatab didnt take awy any fear i may have had about my driving. After driving over some of the roads we didr. That summer anything i come across later will be a piece of cake. [laughter] the ensuing detailed report richly illustrated replete with observations and recommendations to cover every aspect of resources and the state emphasizing the importance of providing increased recreational facilities for the fast growing and increasingly prosperous population. Se balanced as it must be with the preservation of the natural and Historic Sites up and down the state and offering examples of inevitably redwoods, water features. Geology, mountains and hill country than many immensely popular beaches, deserts and last but not least the iconic image of the Monterey Cypress said against the north and of the preserve. After he campaigned around the states people of california voted 3want to pass the state bond act allocating 6 million through the acquisition of land for parks reservation. The state about olmsted plan and followed it even through the Great Depression. Purchase 80 of the sites proposed plant eventually affording california and the outstanding park system they enjoy to this day. At the same time he embarked upon the California Survey of parks he also assumed the role that lauren referred to, the chairmanship of the newly formed yosemite National Park Service Board of expert advisers. It was an entity he suggested as early as 1911 and acceptance reflected and deeprooted commitment to the parks maintained until 1956 and i think he wrote about the in 1953, so three years before his death, for yearson before his death. When the major issues confronting the board dealt with how to plan for an and cope with the intensification of visitationpo to the increasingly popular parks. As you can imagine awards were heaped upon him throughout his life. The one that resonated with him for most came to his 83rd birthday in the spot he had chosen as a Memorial Grove at the garden club of america so many years before. His old biltmore friended for us to expert carl schenck had been honored in it was his idea to create and for his good friend rick olmsted as well. Earlier riding to a friend in the Memorial Grove olmsteds talked about the very site and i quote this valley presents one of the mostof impressive and beautiful examples of the forest enlightenedd by sparkling dense stream of clearwater that ive ever seen in my exploration of the country completely selfcontained in a dream by dense forest of fine quality. And now it was olmsteds turn. On july 4, 1953 a the group of friends and family and colleagues assembled in a telling grove. The ever modest olmsted said surely such Close Association with conservation could not have been a more perfect matter in which to honor this work and its legacy. Thank you. [applause] hi everybody. How are you all doing . Allgood . Ready for olmsted and redwoods . All right we are going to keep that thing going. Let me get to the next presentation. All right, perfect. Hi everybody my name is sam hodder present ceo of save save the redwood leg. I want to follow on on the themes today at the connections between olmsted the redwoods and the broader Conservation Movement but i want to start by saying thank you all so much for being here and thank you ddn and aop. What a great opportunity to honor such a critical voice in the american landscape and the conservation landscape. Im pleased to be here in celebration of the olmsted legacy and today im going to share a bit about how that legacy is rooted in the mighty redwoodtl forest that we spoke a little bit about how olmsteds connection to the efforts to save the redwoods helped to launch the land Conservation Movement in this country and in my view this is and does collectively to lead again in the new era at a time when our shared Natural Lands play an unprecedented role in our resilience in the face of a rapidly changing world. We would do well to ask ourselves what would olmsted do today . As we all well know Frederick Law Olmsted, sr. And jr. Subparts as elemental part of modern life it reflected a purely american sense like schools, churches and museums parks were a critical element that to the infrastructure of a healthy and vibrant community and the power and beauty of nature that took center stage in the olmsted sparks was critical to our health and our wellbeing. A core element of that philosophy was to make the beauty of nature a part of our lives. They believed it was the american way that her most beautiful landscapes were not juster for the land owning clas. Rather should be satisfied for all of us. The visual manifestation of array to to the pursuit of happiness. Personally im lucky too have lived in and around the olmsted designed landscapes my whole life. My childhood neighborhood in cambridge massachusetts, the acadia National Park where my grandmother lives and i many weeks every year. The emerald necklace of parks around portlandou maine where practice Land Conservation and many Land Conservation minears Land Conservation minears wills dead hand was behind all of those landscapes and then when i moved to california to work in conservation for the modern coffers are conservation work began i learned once again the park systems in the ready access to the beauty of nature is so defined a the ethos of the golden state was again part of olmsteds vision. As was mentioned Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. Was a counselor and save the redwood trees for many years and are activity and Land Conservation and such a dna of our organization tightly intertwined with the philosophy the olmsted family in as many of us have talked about today and as we see around this room and in the broader celebration of the bicentennial we feel we represent one of Many Organizations who are carrying that legacy forward through our ongoing conservation activity. I want to talk a little bit about olmsted jr. And his creation of the california state park system as was mentioned earlier. He was commissioned by save the redwoods as we were at core component of the state parks commission. 1928 he developed a master plan for the california state park system in the park plan recommended acquisition of 125 parks throughout the state and its remarkable to think about the fact that almost all of them were parks determined in a matter for a few years. Thats remarkable and think about today imagine proposing a plan today for 125 new parks in a single state and to have actually happened. That is just mindboggling. And if that were enough to demonstrate olmsteds ability to catalyze or harness Community Support for conservation and translate that support into transformational investment just a decade later he was hired again by many the same leaders as was mentioned earlier to design a parks system for the east bay hills and to advance the plan for residents of the east bay in the middle of the Great Depression voted to tax themselves in order to create more parks and open space. That launched the largest Regional Park system in the country. That to this day as the Gold Standard for the Regional Park systems. Again continuous dna with the garden club of america the Redwood League dr. Ryan hurd who spoke at the dedication of the garden club of america federal state park was the first woman elected to the body in california as one of a the boar, founding Board Members of the Regional Park district. And to this date that bears her name. That is my Neighborhood Park where i grewy up. The primary message for my remarks today is that we could use a little bit more olmsted. We need the rejuvenated and Community Building power of parks no morere than ever. If we learned anything from this pandemic is that we need the healing power of nature in our lives and if theres anything we have learned from the changing climate and its impacts on our communities we need more spaces where nature can make its way. When olmsted began his effort for state parks plant there were around 5 Million People living in california and now they are around 40 million its growing. Its been almost 15 years and moreks than 15 years since California State Parks have acquired any new land of substance let alone created it in part. In contrast to the substantial Public Investment in parks and open space of olmsted sarah when olmsted in the week together with our partners inspired the creation of entire park system in a matter of decades today funding for California State Parks is less than 1 100th of 1 of the overall state budget. We are about due for another olmsted era. So as we think about how olmsted inspired the transformation of her nations relationship with nature and, public spaces and e think about the transformation in context of the challenges and opportunities we face today i keep asking myself what would olmsted jr. Do today . With the existential threat of Climate Change is a Global Pandemic and the movement to reimagine inclusive and equitable parks and public lands but t would olmsted jr. Do toda . To work towards an answer of going to start with what i know best the redwood forest. Olmsted jr. s family had philosophy philosophy of infused in the league ever since he joined our board of counselors in 1926 and he served for the next 29 years but he sought to immerse visitors in restorative and therapeutic Natural Landscapes and experience he viewed as the most profound and effective antidote to the stress and ailments of urban life in the developing plans for California State Parks he grew inspiration from the redwoods for good reason. To be in the presence of trees so massive and in so ancient inspires a sense of resilience and community. Redwood forests are places where life decisions are made where anxiety finds perspective where life finds its balance even as these forests cleaner air and breathed out in like the lungs of the world they are our places. A little bit about the why of the redwoods and what drew olmsted to the movement so indulge me in some quick we know for example of redwood trees are the tallest trees in the world the tallest being over 380 feet tall and still growing. We know that they are massive. They are a giant sequoia that have the circumference of over 100 feet. And they are mine when lee old. Some giant sequoias have grown to over 2000 years old and they were already mature trees when homer wrote his first draft. We know from the fossil records the redwood forest itself is truly ancient dating back millions of years to the air of the dinosaurs to the redwoods have seen the World Evolved and survived through Global Change across millions of years. They used to circumnavigate the northern hemisphere. After multiple stages the redwood forests were wiped out across much of the world with survivingg only in a narrow band just boarded 50 miles long northsouth along the coast of california and into Southern Oregon and the giant sequoias scattered groves found only in the western slopes of the sierra nevada. Fastforward to the 1840s when millions of years of stability turned on a dime as a Reference Point the population of settlers in San Francisco in 1848 and a course there were indigenous communities throughout the landscape for thousands and thousands of years but the settlers in San Francisco in 1848 hours of community of 1000 people. In 184,925,000 people. By 1870 the city grew more than 10 times larger larger for the returner of 65,000 people who lived in the bay area in San Francisco was a fullfledged city, a city built almost entirely of redwoods and land was thanks to the timber and stone act of 1878 or the federal government was settling the redwood forest again settling the redwood forest that they owned because of the war that was mentioned earlier to newly formed Stewart Companies for re 2. 50 an acre. And the timber value per acre was hundreds times that and within just a few years and for the First Time Ever the redwood forest was privatelyowned and began to disappear. But the lifetime following the gold rush to 75 years later in the early 1920s most half of the coastal redwood forest and one third of the ancient giant sequoia trees had been cut down. By the mid1970s only about 5 of the redwoods remain standing primarily in parks identified by olmsted and protected by save the redwood trees. Here areh course you see the green beige is the former redwoods range and the redth represents the oldgrowth burgeoning force that remain. In a few generations the mighty redwood forest went from over 2 million acres of old road down to 120,000 acres. Remember in 1849 with a Timber Harvesting began the concept of Land Conservation didnt exist. Manifest destiny was all the rage. The forest was seen as a challenge to be tamed and endless Economic Resource to be harnessed then as we learned about in 1864 inspired by t olmsted senior in the giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove president lincoln took the first great step of Land Conservation. In the middle of the civil war lincoln set aside the Mariposa Grove giant sequoia in this Yosemite Valleys publicly protected land the first time in American History nature was protected from public enjoyment. This is a watershed moment in the development of the land Conservation Movementin in amera and the sierra redwoods and the olmsted family were right there at the starting line. In early 20 century save the redwoods was founded to protect the forest and environmentalism didnt exist. There was no Rachel Carson there was no landd Conservation Movement. Parks werent designated as opposed to creative so save the Redwoods League established to prior private land for Public Benefit had to make up the rules asnt a land creating the tools r the Conservation Community and has been in use ever since. There was was not able to structure Public Agency with a partner in the longtermrm stewardship of the special places we were working to protect. Again back to the storytelling 1927 the year after president olmsted jr. Joined the redwoodse Leagues Council the League Initiated and led the legislative efforts to create the california state park system to own and manage the redwood trees that the leak and their partners were working to acquire. In 1928 the league lost one of thee time was the biggest Publicity Campaign in california history to promotery the parks r the california state park law at the states firstever in one of the first of its kind to in the nation. Passed in every county and by a margin of 31. It launched the acquisition of california state park system or the senior the league appointed olmsted to Creative Vision for the parks for the apxtowicz ecom california state park system. His plan in 1928 identified 125 potential sites which are today core to what is oftenbe said toe the finest state park system in theve world and given olmsteds love of redwoods he designed the California State Parks planned around the redwood forest arcs stretching up and down the coasts of the league got to work protecting these forests take her by acre. Humboldt redwoods state forest. Creek state park Jedediah Smith were all parks identified in the plan is critical opportunities to protect the last of the ancient forests. Today the state parks along, those identified by olmsted and his plan contained more than 40 of the worlds remaining oldgrowth bedrock in the heart and soul of the network of redwood parks that welcome more than 31 million visitors every year. Now a century after began we remain focused on protecting the redwood forest. That initial objective in tacoma debeginning was to protect what were deemed representative status on the ancient redwood forest before they were all lost in today with the devastation and clear cutting of forests that surround those representative lands indeed they are just that. They are like museum exhibits of what the forest used to be. We know now that is not enough. A growth does not a forests make and we need healthy resilient forests to sustain the planet. And to further compel a more expansive conservation vision recent years we have learned the oldgrowth redwood forest sequester more carbon per acre than any other forest on the planet by a long shot. The second place doesnt come anywhere close. Again more carbon per acre than any other forest on the planet. One of parks and olmsteds plan Jedediah Smith state parks at the oregon border contains more aboveground biomass per acre than anywhere in the world. More leaf surface area than anywhere in the world more life and plans to grow another plants than anywhere else. The researchers found a mature per tree growing up the canopy of the 2000yearold redwood tree. More carbon p sequestration then anywhere in the world but theres one tree in a park that puts on a metric ton of wood every year in a single tree. They are historically have been the belief that old forests were static, not so. The bigger and older a the redwood tree the more would. A ton of wood in the single year and at a time when we are struggling to mitigate the proliferation of carbon atmosphere to save the planet is worth paying attention to that piece of data. Olmsted was suggest we incorporate that information anc tower situation and that in time of Climate Change we need to expand our park vision to landscape scaling, protecting and restoring the sea of young redwoods that surround the island of oldgrowth in a healing forest of the future. So thats what we are we are doing. For example after acquiring the state parks and 1930s based on olmsteds plan in 2002, seven years later we acquired a 23,000acre Mill Creek Watershed is the that links together those two spectacular islands of oldgrowth. We added this recovery for us to redwood and National Parks and are currently actively managing it. Removing miles and miles of abandoned waterways encouraging the dominant species. They ring true crews to restrict air and bring back the salmon. Olmsted olmsted believed in natures hand guidinget the aesthetic a light touch Landscape Architecture of a untrammeled nature. We know that these landscapes have suffered and died out because the devastating impact of active stewardship is critical in helping to seal these natural places. But we have learned about climate and b about Carbon Sequestration and and of biodiversity in the redwood forest olmsted would no doubt have expanded his vision for why we need to save these Critical Force and i think its urgent that we involve our understanding forav whom we are saving it. For all of our debt to the early founders of the Conservation Movement we know now that many of our Community Works works looted. Indeed the roots of the Redwood League are entangled with the leadership of the Eugenics Movement of the early 1900s and the exclusion of marginalized communities from conservation and in california many parts of the last 12 land was being distributed for industry and and agriculture in parkland tribes are being forcibly removed from the places that were fundamental to their identity, their cultures and their history putting california tribes were systematically eradicated from governmentsponsored genocide in the years preceding and following california statehood. Today Indigenous People continue to restore their relationship with their Ancestral Lands and their stewardship traditions. The league is pursuing opportunities together with many partners to support california tribes and restoring their connections with their Ancestral Lands seeking opportunities for comanagement acquisition and significant conservation lands in traditional stewardship and cultural access the most fundamentally and align with the olmsted vision knowing that our parks are overwhelmed and often inaccessible to many. We are accelerating the pace and scale of our conservation work in creating new parks that connects all of us to the beauty and power of nature. In recent years the league is protected some of the most important remaining redwood and sequoia forests left with the ultimate goal of providing more and better redwood parks for people. 2019 we required and protected all tikrit five and 30 acres of ancient sequoia forests. In the landscape of indescribable beauty of the Alpine Meadows wildflowers and hundreds of ancient giant sequoia including00 many that ae more than 2000 years old. In 2018 required and protected the second largest unprotected giant sequoia growth after all tikrit. Most recently in a senior report tech did what is called the herald rich edson redwood preserve and some accounting rate was the largest unprotected oldgrowth grove left in the postredwood area. Most recently we protected the 3100acre lostfi Coast Redwood including five miles of the Pacific Coast the Pacific Coast. Its the largest privatelyowned privatelyowned shoreline with extraordinary redwood forest in the missing link of the southern end of 60 miles of the famed lost coast of california and collaborative and jointly owned and managed by the bureau of Land Management in California State Parks the intertribal Wilderness Council on culturally significant lands are now looking to add five miles plus two properties very own into the protected fabric of recreational cultural and conservation value. But we know it isnt just about buying land especially with sohe much of land where working to protect the suffered from years of extraction and intense management. We have expand on the olmsted vision of protecting land and parks to include active management for restoration. In recent years say the Redwood League in partnership with the National Park service in California State Parks all three of us with olmsted in our dna have launched the most called redwoods rising. The northernmost parts of the redwood range for the trees grow pollard than anywhere else in the world we are actively restoring clearcut that surrounds the oldgrowth grove that olmstedat identified 95 yes ago accelerated healing of the young redwood forest on its path to be the oldgrowth of the future. This is another example of that opportunity for restoration. As a former mill site where the oldgrowth from this collection of parks Redwood National state parks is to be milked. They were harvested on the hillside and they came to that 45acre block of pavement to be milled into bores but we bought it in 2013 and we are currently working to remove all the pavement with a construction crew at this critical junction of redwood and Prairie Creek in the core of yurok ancestral territory. They are restoring the landscape reintroducing the meander ofan e stream in the winter channels with salmon rearing and as a place where theres going to be a new gateway into Redwood National state parks together with aor yurok village sites and cultural access for ceremony and traditions. In addition to protecting and restoring olmsted will likely would have lots to say about how todays park should curate the unprecedented williams of the public. For example downstream from that restoration work in mill creek in the heart of jedediah redwoods state park visitors have been wandered off trails looking at the legendary visitors eager for the inspiration of nature were trampling on the understory and clamoring over over ripped in what h v has been hidden from vw until just a few years ago. After years of the stay on the trail signs fail to protect the forest floor we installed a raised walkway that allows for that action without impacting the ferns and losses for the roots of these most massive trees in the world and here in this primeval wilderness where more by a grant aboveground biomass than anywhere else inha the world signage was designed by the descendents of the original stewards of the land. The story of this place is flora and fauna history and culture in importance is told in the language of their cultural leaders but today visitors come from around the world to visit this extraordinary cancer the power of nature to identify the olmsted 100 years ago and those visitors are welcome and guided by the voice and language of the Indigenous People. The Redwood League has created a local park system in partnership with Frederick Olmsted jr. For the sake of the forest and because parks makes our lives better in our Community Stronger sinner healthy and their children healthier. A level of diversity that will never be considered when the partss work created. Olmsted and his fellow counselorsed at say the Redwood League in the 30s and 40s believed deeply that parks particularly f the redwood parks were fundamental and today we collectively are dancing that fundamental belief in its fullest implementation. We are bringing the voices and communities that works included in the past so to lead in the conservation of our parks and special places to ensure redwood parks are inclusive and welcome to all of us. In conclusion the more i thought about the legacy of olmsted and the relevance of this core philosophy to the challenges we face today the more i am convinced that we need another olmsted era. We need to inspire another unprecedented level of investment to naturebased solutions to Climate Change landscape scale conservation and active restoration management. We need to reinstall your our partners in committed to to elevate the importance of parks and public spaces in both public and philanthropic investments had to keep pace with their growing population by protecting more parkland in reimagining our parks to inspire a new generation. By broadening the community of partners in the process of healing the forest and Natural Lands that will help heal our communities. In so doing we have an opportunity to restore the wetlands is together and bring back the natural resilience of our landscapes or their world has changed so much so fast and as we climb out at these intense years of Health Crises and Economic Crises in a political crisis in climate and welfare crisis and we wrestle with the world we hope to create in its place we would be wise to remember how Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. Inspired a love of nature. He understood how the peace and beauty of these forced to provide respite and resilience from the stresses of modern life and we are deeply proud of how olmsted said emotion or conservation vision when 100 years ago and today we take thae philosophy that centers the power of resilience of nature and its connection to all of us as we look to accelerate the pace and scale of that work that he helped us to start. Thank you very much. [applause] we have another session comingtw up that im told we can take questions so anybody, quick. Yes. Im curious about Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. And was there any animosity between father or in sun or jealousy because so much of what the sun did was credited to the father and that kind of thing. [inaudible] is your microphone on . It is on. The grants done grandson of the Frederick Law Olmsted, jr. Suffered a grant to write something about him because he really wanted those two names to be drawn apart and evaluated separately so that olmsted jr. Got the credit for a lot of the things he did. Eye which is headed that i think one of the challenges that all this to deal with olmsted and the olmsted legacy in some way struggle with is the fact that there were in fact free olmsteds and there were a number of otherdu individuals particularly in that later firm who contributed significantly to the work of the olmsted firm. I think theres a misconception when we hearol the name olmsted and connected with olmsted senior. The biggest legacy happened in the projects happened after [inaudible] great. I want to thank my fellow panelists so much and we look forward to the next session. [applause]