Remarks to Leaders of Twelve National Conservation Organizations.

IT IS NICE to welcome Senator Anderson as the leader of the American conservation movement. We have here the leaders of the American Conservation Association, the American Forestry Association, the Conservation Foundation, the Izaak Walton League of America, the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Parks Association, the North American Wildlife Foundation, the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, and the Wildlife Management Institute.

This list of these organizations indicates the necessity for us not to take any of our great natural resources for granted. They require very dedicated work not only by the Government, but by all these private associations who are attempting to protect really our most valuable national heritage which is going to be increasingly endangered by the increase in population and the number of industrial developments in our country. So this work is very significant now. We are glad this meeting is being held to honor Senator Anderson who has worked so hard in this all his life and has recognized that now is the time to act so that we don't find ourselves 10 or 20 years from now leaving our children with a less rich heritage.

So I want to welcome you to the White House. There is a good deal of unfinished business in this area. And also I want to express my appreciation to Senator Anderson who through his wilderness bill and many other bills is protecting the resources of our country which will be very harshly judged by our successes.

[It this point U.S. Senator Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico expressed the hope that the President would some day "have leisure time to see some of these wonderful places." The President then resumed speaking. ]

We hope in the fall to take a trip which will expose all of us to a good deal of the work that is being done in conservation in the Middle West, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest United States. I know that all of us in Washington would like to take a look at it, to view this very important treasure. So I am going to look forward to this.