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<br />001114 <br /> <br />believe that designation alone is not responsible for impacts on local <br /> <br /> <br />services. The Park Service helps to pick up the trash and police the <br /> <br /> <br />river users. This service would have been impossible without designation. <br /> <br /> <br />Most of those involved with the river corridor agree that the river <br /> <br /> <br />environment has improved as a result of designation. There is less <br /> <br /> <br />trash and refuse on the river banks and the water is generally cleaner. <br /> <br />It appears that the local people have mixed feelings about designation. <br /> <br /> <br />They were more enthusiastic immediately prior to designation than after- <br /> <br /> <br />wards. In general most local officials felt that the State and Federal <br /> <br /> <br />agencies should have worked more closely with the local governments to <br /> <br />devise ways of providing extra services, facilities and perhaps roads. <br /> <br />These local officials did however believe that not all of their problems <br /> <br />were due to the designation. <br /> <br />- IMPACT ON LOCAL LAND VALUES <br /> <br />Many of the officials contacted, said that land values had risen in <br /> <br /> <br />the townships as a result of designation. This was a mixed blessing for <br /> <br />some, because in some cases, taxes went up as well. The rise in land <br /> <br />value was at times attributed to the desirability of the area for second <br /> <br /> <br />home development. Other reasons given were that a) river properties <br /> <br /> <br />were being brought at high prices by the federal government, b) there <br /> <br /> <br />was an overall rising demand for rural living, c) the values were <br /> <br /> <br />increasing anyway, d) there are large amounts of state conservation lands <br /> <br /> <br />in the area. 'Two of the townships noted that the value of adjacent lands <br />f <br /> <br />had decreased, but did not speculate on the reasons why. One township's <br /> <br />-11- <br />