OCR Text |
Show 331 Recreation Water plays an important role in recreation. And Con- gress has provided many water-resource programs and author- ized the construction of many projects suitable for recreation as well as for their primary purposes. Reservoir projects often provide ideal recreation areas. National parks contain many lakes and streams similarly useful. Nor are the national for- ests to be overlooked. In the case of reservoir projects under Army control, Con- gress in 1944 made provision for recreation.80 The Chief of Engineers is thereby authorized to construct, maintain, and operate public park and recreational facilities. Also, the Sec- retary of the Army may grant leases of such areas and facilities upon terms he deems reasonable, giving preference to federal, state, or local governmental agencies. These may be made without monetary consideration when the Secretary of the Army determines it to be in the public interest. Similarly, leases are permitted to nonprofit organizations at nominal rentals. Moreover, it is expressly declared that, when deter- mined by the Secretary of the Army not to be contrary to the public interest: The water areas of all such reservoirs shall be open to public use generally, without charge, for boating, swim- ming, bathing, fishing, and other recreational pur- poses * * *. In the case of reclamation projects, there is no corresponding general authorization.81 However, recreational facilities are available at certain reclamation projects, the facilities being under the control of the National Park Service in some cases, as we shall shortly see. Also the Federal Power Commission may require licensees 89 Act of December 22,1944, § 4, 58 Stat. 887, 889, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 460d. "But see H. R. 4403, 81st Cong., 1st sess. (1949) which passed the House of Representatives August 1,1949 and made provision for recreational uses at reclamation projects; see H. Rep. No. 918, 81st Cong., 1st sess. (1949). |