•

One of our greatest recreation resources-the seashore-is

rapidly vanishing from public use. Nearly everyone seems to

know this fact, but few do anything to halt the trend.

1n 1954 a friend of the National Park Service provided funds

to take the first step-a survey of the Atlantic and Gulf coastline.

This booklet is the story of that survey and an accounting of what

is left of desirable seashore that may be saved for public enjoyment.

The facts uncovered by the survey are alarming. However,

the purpose of this booklet is not to alarm, but to inform. It will

have served its purpose well if public-minded citizens and local,

State, and Federal governments are stirred to take necessary steps

-before it is too late-to preserve

CONRAD L. 'VIRTU, DirectorNatlonal Park Service

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,

SEASHORE FEVER

A PEOPLE'S HERITAGE IS THREATENED

HOW THE SURVEY WAS RUN

WHAT THE S RVEY FOU 'D OUT

RECOMJ\.IE 'DATIO S FOR ACTION

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J5

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27

34

seashore fever

"Private Property"

" 0 Trespassing"

"Subdivision: Lots for Sale"

These are the signs of the times todayalong America's eastern coast.

Travel where you will along the shore,from Canada to Mexico, and these are thesigns you will see mushrooming in countlessnumbers.

Signs like these are storm warnings.They mean just one thing: Almost everyattractive seashore area on our Atlantic and

Gulf coasts has been pre-empted for com­mercial or private development. Only afraction of our long seacoast is left for pub­lic use, and much of this small portion israpidly disappearing before our eyes.

A generation or two ago, only the mostfarsighted of men could have guessed thatthis problem would so suddenly confront the

ation. Vast stretches of unspoiled and un­developed beach then lined our coast, withineasy reach of even the largest coastal cities.

Fifty years ago, for example, a boy couldgo five miles from the populous city ofBoston, spend the day combing the beach ordigging mud clams in the estuaries, and

7

seldom see another human being withinshouting distance.

On the unforgellable crescent of gleam­ing white sand that stretched from Winthropto ahant one passed only a few venture­some cottages before finding himself alonewith the sea. Old Orchard Beach, belowPortland, boasted a lillie summer hamletnear the railroad station, but at its reacheswas an expanse of wilderness. Virginia Beachwas much the same.

Even around ew York City, greatestcenler of population of the counlry, if a mandid not like the hurly-burly of Coney Islandhe could have his fill of wilderness commu­nion by exerting himself a bit. Miles of thesand-spit front of Long Island were his forthe asking.

Fashionable interest in the seashore wasdOlling the coastline with colonies of "sum­mer folks," but these were mere specks on afar-flung seascape. It seemed then incrediblethat there would ever be starvation where allone could see was inexhaustible riches.

Along the 3,700 miles of shoreline stretching fromCanada to Mexico are treasured scenes of charm andbeauty like these which show a sheltered cove at BlockIsland, R. I., surf, sand and pines of Florida's GulfCoast and the undisturbed shoreline of EvergladesNational Park.

8

As late as 1935-just two decades ago-­the National Park Service made a survey ofthe Atlantic and Gulf coasts and foundplenty of unspoiled seashore areas suitablefor public recreation. It recommended that12 major strips, with 437 miles of beach, bepreserved as national areas. These weresuperb tracts. There were plenty of others,only a little less desirable, suitable for Stateand other reserves.

Only one of the 12 was actually acquiredas a national seashore. All the others, save

9

one, have long since gone into private andcommercial developments.

The real boom that has created such aproblem for those interested in seashore con­servation began after \'\Torld War II. It is inpan a product of postwar prosperity, and itsspectacular acceleration in onl y a decade isnothing shon of a business phenomenon.

The market for seashore propeny hasbecome so active that inaccessibility is nolonger a bar. Isolated islands are being sub-

divided, roads and streets constructed andbuyers found whil the islands are still acces­sible only by boat. Most of the 5,000 lots inone large island development 150 miles fromthe nearest population center have been sold

~ Fabulous Miami Beach, Florida, where all was solitudeand wilderness less than half a century ago.

at constantly increasing prices although allattempts to secure a bridge have failed.

Under such pressure, beachfront hold­ings respond to the inevitable law of supplyand demand. The supply of such land is fastdwindling; the number of per ons seeking toacquire property is skyrocketillg-and so isthe price.

The march of progress and people's hunger for a cottage by the sea rapidly consumes the gleaming stretches

of unoccupied beach that seemed almost inexhaustible only a few decades ago.

!..

I I

The seashore has become Big Business. longer vaca­tions, higher wages, and better roads make seashoretrips possible for millions today.

n undeveloped area 30 miles longrecommended as a national sea hore in 1935could have been purchased then for 260,000,about 9,000 a mile. Today only nine milesremain undeveloped, and they would bring

110,000 a mile-an increase of 1100 percentin 20 years.

It would be difficult today to purchasean attractive 100-foot lot fronting on the

ocean for less than 3,500, and most siteswould range far higher.

The seashore has become Big Business.Exten ive and costly developments now linemile after mile of hore which before WorldWar II was uninhabited. The big resortcenters are steadily expanding their capacityto meet demands, and smaller resorts aremushrooming throughouL Lhe lengLh of thecoast. Plans on drawing boards call for large­scale centers to occupy remoLe beaches as yetundisturbed by the blade of a bulldozer.

More and more people are getting theseashore habit. Many who were once satisfiedwith an occasional visiL to the beach nowwanL Lo build a cottage and stay there allsummer-perhaps all year.

The Army, avy, and Air Force are ac­quiring coastal land for miliLary purposes.Mineral resources of Lhe seashore attract oilwell and mining operations. With each ac­quisition, the amount of available beach forall other purposes is reduced.

Is it difficult to predict what the conse­quences of these changes will be to the fULureof Lhe seashore?

Many types of developments, including oil wells and mining operations, take long stretches of beach fromrecreation use.

12

Man-made attractions add to the age-old lure of thesea itself.

Comparatively few scattered resort areas, like this one

at Virginia Beach, formerly met ocean vacation de­mands of a less populous and less prosperous Nation.

13

a people's heritage is threatened

hy should anyone be concerned aboutthis problem?

\Vhy do conservation ists cxpre alarmthat the undeveloped and unspoiled seashorei rapidly disappearing?

The answer is simple.

The seashore is a priceless scenic andscientific resource for which there is no sub·

~ Cape Hatteras, N. C.-As the lighthouse guards the coast,so must the American people take prompt action to guardtheir priceless heritage of seashore before what little re­mains is lost to public use.

stitute. Once subdivided and developed it islost forever.

It is entitled to better treatment as apart of the natural heritage of the ation.

Preservation of a uitable part of this re­source, for usc of all the people, involves abroad range of problems extending fromerosion control and recreation to the protec­tion of biological and historical values.

Take a brief look at some of these prob­lems:

15

The seashore lives in precarious anddelicate balance at all times, constantly vul­nerable to the action of wind and tide. Undernormal circumstances the sand dunes­familiar symbol of the shore-remain stabi­lized by a strategic cover of sea-oat or beachgrass. Even after the battering of moun­tainous waves and hurricane winds, thecoastal plain adjusts itself to new conditions.

Not so when man intrudes. When healters the delicate balance at any point hecan never be quite sure of the result.

Some developers are unfamiliar or un­concerned with the need for retaining natu­ral barriers to storms and currents. Theycut into the dunes and destroy the vegetation

in order to build closer to the water. Theconsequences may be spectacular cases oferosion, heavy property damage, and penna­nent loss of precious seashore.

All too often the damage is not confinedto the despoiled area. Sand dunes, once re­leased from the restraining grasp of vegeta­tion, are implacable rovers. They have beenknown to move great distances, smotheringtrees and buildings and burying valuablefarm land.

Noone expects that all beach develop­ment should cease because of the threat oferosion. But the conservation-minded citi­zen believes that there should be reserved afair number of spots where the equilibriumis left undisturbed, or is affected as little aspossible.

Nature, undisturbed, is an excellent conservationist. Strategically she covers the vulnerable sands with con­fining vegetation.

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16

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Sparse as they may seem, these wisps of grass and bush fight a successful war against wind and wave.

Ceaseless pounding of the sea assaults the shoreline just asit batters this old fort. Conservationists know that indiscriminatedevelopment of seashore may bring costly losses.

Ocean storms shaped these live oaks.Unrestrained dunes, pushed by the samewinds, would travel for miles, buryingfarm land and buildings.

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Protected by law, Florida Key deer feed unafraid.More areas are needed to extend such protection.

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WILDLIFE

PRESERVATION

When Old World man first came toAmerica, five clearly distinguished plant­animal communities lived along our sea­shores. Each was characterized by its ownforms of life ...

· .. the marine community by the sea­weeds-red and brown algae-the whales,the dolphins, 200 species of fish ...

· .. the salt marsh community by cord­grass and seaside goldenrod, redwing black­birds and migratory waterfowl, muskrats andfiddler crabs ...

· .. the sand dune community by sea-oatand beach grass, sand crabs and tiger bee­tles ...

· .. the shrub community by bayberryand beach plum to the north and wax myrtleand yaupon to the south ...

Scientists urge additional wildlife sanctuaries alongthe shore, like this North Carolina refuge aboundingin royal terns .

Far too few examples of natural plant-animal communities remain undisturbed along the coast. Even thesefew are rapidly disappearing .

. . . the forest community by evergreensand oaks, and by an abundance of mammalsand birds and insects and reptiles.

Each of the hundred of organism 111

these communities played its role in thedrama of life. harmonious, cooperativebalance resulted-the balance of nature.

Since European came on I he scene, thisnative life has been sharply disturbed, oftendestroyed, and the balance of nature upset.

The few remaining examples of naturalplant-animal communitie along the seacoastshould be zealously preserved and protectedfrom further modification. Biologists shouldhave an opportunity to study these types ofcommunities, that occur nowhere exceptalong the seashore. Who can say that at ornefuture time such studies might not re ult indiscoveries of great benefit to the humanrace?

ature is a very efficient conservationist,if left alone. Even at this late hour we cansave some of our native seacoast life if areacan be given permane11l protection.

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Each creature fits an interdependent role in the bal­ance of nature. When the balance is disturbed, nativelife suffers. This egret is fishing in the surf.

Myriads of holidayers swarm over commercial and publicly-operated beaches. Already inadequate, thesebeaches face intolerable overcrowding unless added recreation areas are provided.

RECREATION

A holiday weekend in summer finds theLong Island parkways massed with trafficmoving toward Jones Beach State Park,Coney Island, or Rockaway Park. Similarendless lines of cars stretch along U. S. I inConnecticut, Rhode Island, New Halllpshire,and Maine; along U. S. 6 on Cape Cod; androads to the shore in every other coastalState.

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The enchammem of the sea lures newmillions every year. This rush to the seashoreis constamly abelled by higher incomes andshorter working hours. Ever-improving roadsystems steadily bring additional areas andpopulations within comllluting range of theshore.

Present facilities are already inadequateand will be smothered by increased allend­ance unless additional recreation areas arcprovided.

Proof? The evidence is spectacular. In1934 only 5,000,000 persons visited NewYork State Park beaches. Just 20 years later,in 1954, auendance had vaulted to 61,­000,000.

And rapidly increasing populationpromises anything but relief. Today weilUmber 165,000,000. Within 20 more years,says the Census Bureau, we will number200,000,OOO-six persons for every five livingnow. And by the year 2,000 we will havereached the fanlastic total of 300,000,000Our population will have doubled in lessthan a lifetime.

Only a program of tremendous VISionand bold execution will save all recreationfacilities from being buried under the ava­lanche.

Local governments sometimes expressfear that they will lose revenues when beachproperty is acquired for public use and re­moved from tax rolls. However, experienceshows that money spent by visitors to publicrecreation areas results in much greater re­turn to the community than would be re­ceived from private developmelll of the sameland.

Consider, for example, what happens toa mile of seashore when convened into 100­foot building lots. Recreation-and tax rev­enue-are limited to 50 families.

I3Ul when that mile of seashore becomesa public beach, it meets recreational needsand lures the spending power of perhaps5,000 persons.

Rapidly expanding population and ever-increosingpopularity of shore life bring new multitudes to thewater each year. As an example, New York publicbeaches served 5,000,000 people in 1934, and 61,­000,000 in 1954.

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the survey

how the survey was run

Nearly 3,700 miles of general shoreline'*'str tch along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,from Calais, Maine, to Brownsville, Texas.

How much of this area has already beendeveloped or spoiled?

How much is left, and how much is suit­able for public use?

That's what the ational Park Serviceet out to learn in 1954 when a generous

donor provided funds for a seashore recrea­tion area survey of this far-flung coastal trip.

It was obvious that time and resourceswould permit only a reconnaissance. Butwithin that limit the study was thorough. Itcovered the entire 3,700 miles of generalshoreline, inc! uding all the 18 States with

tlantic or Gulf frontage.

A we have noted, there was a 20-yearold report available for comparison. For the

• Various methods are IIsed for measuring coastline. "Gen­eral shoreline," a defined by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic

urvey, mean the general outline of the seacoast includingbays and harbors to a point where they narrow to a widthof 30 minutes of latitude. For the purpose of this report,however, the important Connecticut coastal area ha beenincluded as part of the general shoreline, although LongIsland ound actually narrows to a point where it wouldbe excluded under the above definition.

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most part it represented the ghosts of de­parted opportunities, yet it did serve as a val­uable reference point.

From the out et the survey party hadgenerous assistance from other organizations:transportation from the U. S. Coast Guardand advice and help from directors of Stateparks, universities, mu eums, librarie , his­torical societies, the U. . Fish and WildlifeService, and various other Federal and StateagencIes.

Generous assistance from the U. S. Coast Guard en­abled the National Park Service to inspect many off­shore islands during the survey.

The survey staff, including among othersa biologist, a historian, and two landscapearchitects, first examined the entire coast fromhelicopter and amphibious plane. They madeaerial photographs and spotted undevelopedareas on U. S. Coast and Geodetic Surveycharts.

Then followed ground reconnaIssance,by power wagon, jeep, and patrol boat, of·126 areas spotted on the maps.

I n considering the many spots visited,the survey party worked from this checklistof points of desirability: location, area, access,regional population, beach condition, fishing,vegetative cover, biological values, dunes, in­sect problem (such as mosquitoes), historicaland archeological values, and difficulty of ac­quisition.

From surface craft, helicopter and amphibious plane,the survey party examined the entire Atlantic and Gulfcoasts, spotting and photographing the scattered areasremaining undeveloped.

With patrol boat, power wagon, and jeep, the survey party carried outground reconnaissance of the areas spotted from the air. It found 54 areassuitable for public recreation use and still undeveloped. These include 640

miles of beach, or about 17 percent of the total shoreline.

From Maine's rockbound coast to Florida's sands and

to the long stretches of Texas on the Gulf, 18 of ourStates maintain footholds on the sea. Only 6 % per­cent, or 240 miles, of this 3,700-mile shoreline is

owned by the people as a whole. The National ParkService recommends public ownership of at least 15per cent for recreation, conservation, and wildlife.

what the survey found out

oreboding is the only word that ade­quately describes the situation so clearly pic­tured by the survey.

In summary, the findings show that al­mo t every attractive seashore area fromMaine to Mexico that is accessible by roadhas been developed, has been acquired fordevelopment purposes, or is being consideredfor its development possibilities.

The few accessible and undevelopedbeach sites left are scattered sparsely alongthe coast. They are small-and they are go­ing fast. Inaccessible beach sites, includingoffshore islands, are almost the only hope forpreservation today. Even many of these arebeing purchased by real estate interests forsubdivision purposes.

A few statistics sharpen up the picture:

I. Of th 3,700 mile of general shore­line con tituting the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,only 612 percent, or 240 miles, are in Federaland tate ownership for public recreationuses.

2. Within these 240 miles are 39 areasin 14 States: two national parks, one national

27

seashore recreation area, and 36 State sea­shores. In addition there are eight nationalwildlife refuges, plus a few small keys andislands, with ocean beaches that are not pri­marily used for public recreation. A fewcounties and municipalities own and operatepublic beaches.

3. More than half of the 240 miles iscontained in the Cape Hatteras ational Sea­shore Recreational Area ( orth Carolina)and in cadia and Everglades ational Parks(Maine and Florida). either of the national

parks contains much beach frontage suitablefor seashore recreation.

4. The seashore survey identified andreported on 126 undeveloped areas. Of thistotal 72 were eliminated from present con­sideration because they lack recreation poten­tialities or are unavailable for public use.

5. The remaining 54 areas are believedto be of interest to local, State, or Federalagencies as possible public seashores. These54 areas, containing about 640 miles of beachand comprising 17 percent of the shorelineof the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, constitute themajor remaining opportunities for conserva­tion of seashore resources. (Happily, States

28

are already negotiating for portions of eightof the 54 areas.)

6. There is a striking parallel betweenthis recreation survey and the two-year inven­tory of the wetlands of the United States con­ducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Ofthe 54 most desirable areas listed by the rec­reation survey, all but six had been rated inthe wetlands inventory as possessing high ormoderate value for birdlife.

7. Of the 54 areas most suitable for pub­lic seashore recreation, six of the areas andone-third of the total beach mileage are inTexas.

8. Within the most densely populatedsection of the seashore, between Massachu­setts and Delaware, lie 18 undeveloped areascontaining 118 miles of coastline. The ex­treme importance of acquiring additionalseashore in this region is vividly emphasizedby the conclusion of the recent Yale Univer­sity City Planning Survey: that the entire600-mile area of the eastern seaboard fromPortland, Maine to orfolk, Virginia, can bedesignated as a single, linear city containingone-fifth of the Nation's population.

9. The 54 undeveloped stretches of sea­shore selected by the survey range in sizefrom one mile long to 100 miles. Some arelocated within three hours driving time ofour greatest population centers. All arewithin one-day travel distance of hundredsof thousands of people.

10. At least two and possibly five of theareas may be of significance to all the people

Black areas on these maps (and on pages 30-31)

show the 16 choicest areas still available for publicrecreation. Many other fine areas that were available20 years ago have long since gone into private hands.

A

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of our Nation for seashore recreation. Fiveof the areas are of considerable historical im­portance, and four more may be of nationalsignificance for wildlife conservation pur­poses.

Within this small booklet it would notbe possible to review the details of all theshoreline locations found by the survey tobe desirable for public use. Several areas,however, are specially suitable; a brief pic­ture of three of these will add flesh and bloodto the statistical bones we have just con­sidered.

1. Cum berland Island in southeast Georgiais considered by the survey to be the bestof its type - the low-lying lands separatedfrom the mainland by stretches of marsh andrivers or estuaries.

Brilliant sands lined with palmettos, moss-draped liveoaks, and white shell roads help make Georgia'sCumberland Island one of the most attractive of the16 prime areas.

each other for the friendship of the Indians:along this coast Spanish and English colo­nizers fought each other. A Spanish armadaof 50 ships and 2,000 soldiers sailed fromHavana in 1742 and attacked the British for­tification on the island. Archeological explo­ration may well uncover here facts of con­siderable historical meaning.

The possibilities of developing Cumber-

Cumberland boasts extensive fresh water ponds aswell as magnificent beaches.

31

land Island for public recreation and culturalenjoyment are considered to be exceptional.

2. The south shore of Long Island, NewYork is the most convenient seashore recrea­tion area for the largest population center ofthe United States. Within a small geograph­ical radius are grouped not less than ninemillion people. The State, of course, hasdone much to provide facilities for satisfyingthe yearning for a day at the ocean edge,but already overloaded conditions are to beobserved at such places as Jones Beach, Gilgoand Captree Slate Parks. The western endof Fire Island is occupied by Fire Island StatePark, but the opportunity exists, accordingto the survey, to make public use of that panof the magnificent 32-mile barrier beach thatis still relatively undeveloped.

The Fire Island area is a long, narrowstretch of sand reef, varying from several hun­dred yards to a mile wide. The beach is wide,clean, and gently sloping, insuring safe andenjoyable swimming in most places. Thedunes are imposing and usually well stabi­lized by vegetation. Only at the uniqueSunken Forest is there any considerablegrowth of trees, but this forest is a gem of itskind: dominated by American holly trees,some several hundred years old, with an ac­companiment of sassafras, shadbush, redcedar, and pitch pine.

Elsewhere the vegetation consists ofbeach grass, bayberry, beach plum, wingedsumac, reindeer moss, and some pitch pine.In places along the bay there is a fairly goodgrowth of eelgrass, providing food for wild­fowl.

Because of the tempering influence 01the Atlantic Ocean, the climate of Fire Islandis mild for its nonhern position. It is one 01the few beach areas on the Atlantic whichlace the sun throughout the day.

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,

Some 32 miles of the Fire Island area of Long Islandcould still be developed for public use within easyreach of millions.

The extent of this seashore makes it well­suited lor concentrations 01 pleasure seekers,and also lor those who delight in a degree 01isolation. Historically, the whole stretch ofcoast here is rich in sea adventure.

3. When Gosnold, in 1602, cru ised alongthe outer ann of the peninsula we now callCape Cod and named it lor the vast schools01 fish he encountered in those waters, helanded on what he described as a "white,sandy and very bold shore." The Frenchexplorer Champlain saw it later and calledit Cape Blanc lor its gleaming sand dunes.Finally, on a November day in 1620, thePilgrims of the r-Iayflower turned back intoa harbor, now Provincetown, fearing the dan­gerous breakers and shoals, and later loundwhat seemed a beller haven at Plymouth.

None 01 these adventurers were seekingline beaches and a shoreline for recreationalpurposes. Three hundred years and morewere to pass before the survey pany was tospeak of this strip of 31l-odd miles in theseterms:

"There is no longer any comparablearea in the New England region thatexhibits all the outstanding values de­sirable and suitable for extensive sea­shore recreation. For these reasons alone,the Great Beach area of Cape Codmerits preservation as a major publicseashore of the orth Atlantic coast."

Here is an area not more than 300 milesdistant by highway from all six capitals ofthe New England States and metropolitan

ew York.

Great Beach contains, in its shorelineand the adjacent land, practically every fea­ture desirable for preservation for ordinaryrecreational purposes and for the additionaluse of historical and nature study. In spiteof its ready accessibility, it has the priceless

feeling of remoteness. It is the longest stretchof beach in the New England shoreline.

Along the northern part of Great Beachthe surf is occasionally too powerful and theslopes too abrupt for the best swimming. Butother sections with long gradual slopes pro­vide bathing for those who do not find thewater too cold.

Along parts of the shore, cliffs rise ashigh as 150 feet; behind them spread forestsand shrubs with many fresh-water lakes.Dunes on the north end are spectacular, somemore than 60 feet high.

Sea, shore, and land birds, together withan interesting community of animals, offer aperpetual source of delight to lovers of thewild.

Cape Cod's Great Beach area-longest beach In New England-offers every desirable feature for recreationand nature study.

33

Cape Cod is noted as one of the ten mostpopular salt-water spon-fishing locations inthe United States. Occasionally whales areseen off shore. Many of the city dwellers ofNew England and New York who have suf­fered under the humid blanket of a "hotspell" are familiar with the refreshing seabreeze of this shore.

There is little opportunity along theNew England coast for exploring undis-

turbed or remote areas of beach, dunes, andforests in search of enjoyments other thanphysically recreational. If the Great Beacharea had the status of a major public sea­shore, it would unquestionably attract in­creasingly large numb~rs of people from theCountry at large and from Canada, besidesthose who would come from New Englandand metropolitan New York. At the sametime it would preserve a representative partof a unique land-and-sea-scape.

fAls a result of the survey, the National:P-ari Service makes these six recommenda­tions:

1. That at least 15 percent of the generalshoreline of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts beacquired for public recreation purposes to beadministered by Federal, State, and localagencies. If the public agencies acquire halfof the suitable undeveloped seashore landremaining, they would then have, includingtheir existing areas, the recommended 15percent.

2. That prompt action be taken to ac­quire available beach sites before the best ofsuch areas are acquired for private or com­mercial development. The critical situationdeserves the attention of all persons and or­ganizations in a position to give aid-wom­ens' clubs, chambers of commerce, historicalsocieties, service clubs, universities, conserva­tion groups, etc.

3. That the acquisition of areas shouldbe related as directly as possible to the dis-

34

tribution of population except where biologi­cal, historical, or other values supersede.

4. That ample quantities of hinterlandof marsh and swamp, which provide a valu­able habitat for a large and interesting va­riety of bird and animal life, be acquired inconnection with beach property. Where suchareas can provide a fresh-water habitat thevariety will be greatly enhanced.

5. That plant-animal communities ofgreat ecological interest found along the sea­shore be acquired and preserved regardlessof the desirability of the adjoining beach; andthat consideration be given to such communi­ties now in a modified condition which mightreturn to a more natural condition if per­mitted to remain undisturbed.

6. That further land use studies be madeof selected coastal areas of unusual impor­tance, giving consideration to proper boun­daries and long range planning for the bestuse of recreation values.

APPENDIX

Here is a breakdown of the seashore lands ineach o[ the Atlantic and Gulf States, with an indi­cation of the areas selected by the survey as espe­cially suited to public use.

MAINE

There are 228 miles of general horeline in thetate o[ ;\Caine, and many hundreds o[ island off

the mainland. election of suitable sites includedthe following: a representative island group areacontaining 12 miles o[ shoreline; two sites of con-iderable historical importance; and three mainland

areas between Bath and Wells with a total shore­line ol abou t 14 miles.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Thi tate has 13 miles of general shoreline,all major portions ol which are developed. A salt­water area in the general vicinity o[ ,.portsmouthpo ses es resources [or public recreation but is notusable in its present condition.

MASSACHUSETTS

The general shoreline ex tends for 192 miles,including the off hore island o[ antucket' and;\lartha's Vineyard. Between ewburyport andPlymouth are two areas with 111'2 miles o[ beach,portion of which are now open to the public. OnCape Cod two areas of over 40 miles are of superiorquality and off the mainland are 10 miles of shore­line readily adaptable for recreation. On the main­land between \Vaquoit and Westport Point, twoareas, with a total of two miles, are desirable [orpublic recreation.

RHODE ISLAND

There are 40 miles of general shoreline in thisState. Between Point Judith and Watch Hill are 5miles of seashore most suitable for public recrea­tion.

CONNECTICUT

The shoreline in Connecti(ut is developed mostlully between ew London and the New YorkState line. In the short space between the RhodeIsland State line and lew London, t\,·o areas witha shoreline of 3\12 mile pas es some of th' de­sirable features lor public seashore.

35

NEW YORK

There are 127 miles of general shoreline inNew York State, nearly all on Long Island. Alongthe southern shore of Long Island, two areas wereselected with a horeline of 23 miles. Off the main­land an island was chosen which possesses aboutfour miles o[ ocean front. These area would affordexcellent recreation opportunities to the greate tconcentration of population along the tlanticcoast.

NEW JERSEY

This State has 130 miles of shoreline, the greatmajority of which is intensively developed. The 13miles of shoreline within the Sandy Hook lilitaryReservation is one of the longest stretches of un­broken sea hore of excellent quality to be foundin this zone of great population concentration. Anarea north of Atlantic City is well suited for wild­life refuge purposes, and an area south of OceanCity, with about 2\12 miles of undeveloped beach,is adaptable to public recreation.

DELAWARE

About one-half of the 28 miles of general shore­line in Delaware is in State ownership; nearly allof this is available to the public for recreation. Anarea now occupied by Fort liles, adjacent to tateproperty, and a second area in the south-centralportion of the State were selected for consideration.

MARYLAND

The 31 miles of shoreline in l\Iaryland is con­tained in portions of two islands, Fenwick andAssateague. The former is fully developed and thesame conditions will soon prevail on the Marylandportion of As ateague.

VIRGINIA

o areas were selected along the mainland o[Virginia's 112 miles of coast line, but two olfshoreisland, one in the northern portion and the otherin the central portion, were listed [or consideration.The two areas have a combined total of over 20miles of excellent beach and a luxuriant growtho[ vegetation.

NORTH CAROLINA

The 301 miles of general shoreline in 1 orthCarolina contains several undeveloped stretches of

coast of value as public seashore. The SIX area.,selected are offshore, with three accessible fromthe mainland by improved roads. They lie alongthe coastline from about the central portion ofthe State to near its southern extremity, with a totalseashore length of about 75 miles.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Three areas totaling 16 miles were selectedfor consideration along South Carolina's 187 milesof shoreline. Two are in the northern portionbetween Georgetown and the North Carolina Stateline, and the third is below Charleston.

GEORGIA

A chain of sea islands extends along Georgia's100 miles of general shoreline. Four were selectedfor consideration; one-Cumberland-is thoughtto be of such outstanding value as to be of nationalsignificance. Three of the areas are in the northernhalf of the State shoreline and one in the southernportion. Combined seashore length is about 50miles.

FLORIDA

Nearly a third of the general shoreline of theAtlantic and Gulf coasts is in Florida. Four main­land areas plus four of the keys were selected forconsideration within its 1,197 miles of shoreline.Two areas are along the Atlantic coast betweenDaytona Beach and West Palm Beach; two others,along the Gulf coast, are located south of Ft. Myers

anL. south of Panama City. These four have a totalshortline of 78 miles. The four keys selected' in theregion between Key Largo and Key West are be­lieved to be of national wildlife significance.

ALABAMA

Much of Alabama's 53 miles of shoreline hasbeen absorbed in private, commercial, and Statedevelopments. Three areas, two in the eastern por­tion of the State and one in the western end, pos­sess some of the resources necessary for publicseashore recreation.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi's Gulf coast is void of any majorundeveloped areas. Two of its four offshore islandswere selected for consideration, however, with atotal of about 44 miles of coastline.

LOUISIANA

The second longest shoreline of any State bor­dering the Atlantic or Gulf coasts, 397 miles, pro­vides a single area for consideration. Its historicalfeatures are more important than its other features.

TEXAS

The third longest shoreline, 367 miles, oneither the Atlantic or Gulf coasts embraces sixareas selected for consideration. Four are betweenthe Texas-Louisiana State line and Corpus Christi,and two in the southern part of the State. Totalshoreline of these six is approximately 206 miles.

The following list, page by page, shows the source from which each picture was gathered. Where a single page is indebtedto'; several sources, credit is recorded picture by picture (left to right. top to bottom) and line by line (lines separated by

dashes).

2 NAT. PARK SERVICE

4 NAT. PARK SERVICE

6 FLORIDA STATE NEWS BUREAU

7 NAT. PARK SERVICE

8 RHODE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL-FLORIDA STATE

NEWS BUREAU-NAT. PARK SERVICE

9 WILLIAM Z. HARMON

10 FLORIDA STATE NEWS BUREAU

II NAT. PARK SERVICE; NEW JERSEY DEPT. CONSERVATION

& ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

12 NEW JERSEY DEPT. CONSERVATION & ECONOMIC DEVEL­

OPMENT-FLORIDA STATE NEWS BUREAU; LOUISIANA

DEPT. COMMERCE & INDIJSTRY

13 FLORIDA STATE NEWS BUREAU-VIRGINIA DEPT. CONSER-

VATION & DEVELOPMENT

I4 NAT. PARK SERVICE

15 FLORIDA STATE NEWS BUREAU

16 NAT. PARK SERVICE

17 VIRGINIA DEPT. CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT-NAT.

PARK SERVICE

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W. F. KUIlICAEK, FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE; JOHN D.

DICKSON III, FLORIDA GAME & FRESH WATER FISH

COMM.

NAT. PARK SERVICE-REX GARY SCHMIDT, FISH & WILDLIFE

SERVICE

LONG ISLAND STATE PARK COMMISSION

RHODE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL-VIRGINIA DEPT.

CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT-NORTH CAROLINA NEWS

BUREAU

AIRvmw BY KELSEY

NAT. PARK SERVICE

U.S. COAST GUARD--NAT. PARK SERVICE

MASSACHUSETTS DEPT. COMMERCE-U.S. COAST GUARD-­

MAINE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL-FLORIDA STATE NEWS

BUREAU

FLORIDA' STATE NEWS BUREAU

NAT. PARK SERVICE

NAT. PARK SERVICE

FRANCIS A. LEI(;H

AIRVIEW BY KELSEY

Litho in U. S. A.