Is a Park a Playground or Preserve? ; Today, in Alabama, Bush Will Argue for a Leading Preservation Program

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Ever since the early days of America's land-conservation movement - when Teddy Roosevelt was sealing off vast tracts of the nation's wilderness - there's been tension over how such treasures should be used: Are they playgrounds for citizens to revel in, or pristine preserves that allow native plants and animals to thrive in relative peace?

These days, President Bush and Congress are still in the throes of this debate.

In Birmingham, Ala., today Mr. Bush will tout his plan to "fully fund" the premier US preservation program - the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is responsible for adding parcels to such icons as the Grand Canyon and the …