About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


CED-76-143 1 (1976-09-08)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabkgy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: I LLM tLbce exepto COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES . WASHINGTON. D.C. 20548 B-125035 SEP 8 1976 The Honorable Alan Steelman House of Representatives Dear Mr. Steelman: In January 1976 you expressed concern about alleged damage being done to the Big Thicket National Preserve in eastern Texas and asked if anything could have been done by the National Park Service to help prevent additional damage. Accordingly, you asked us to review the Park Service activities relating to the acquisition and manage- ment of lands in the Preserve. Specifically, we were asked to determine: --Whether there was a problem in the Preserve because of alleged damage being done by pine bark beetles, lumbering firms, or other land development activities. --Whether Park Service Headquarters officials were fully aware of the extent of the problem. --Whether the Park Service could legally take immedi- ate action to stop the alleged destruction. --The reasons why the Park Service failed to submit the Preserve land acquisition plan to the Congress by the October 11, 1975, statutory deadline. --The status of the Preserve land acquisition program. Our review aisclosed that some landowners, including lum- ber firms, have damaged parts of the Preserve, and that, parts are endangered primarily by continued timber harvesting, oil and mineral exploration, and pine beetle control operations. The project office manager, who is in charge ot land acquisition at the Preserve, said that he is attempting to acquire the en- dangered areas as soon as possible. CED-76-143