The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-03
The Forestry Commission.

AS our readers will remember, the
subject of the condition of the forests
in this State came before the Legisla-
ture, at its recent session, and Joint
resolution was adopted, directing the
governor to appoint three commits
sioners "to inquire into the subject of
the forests of Vermont as to their ex-
tent and condition, and what if any
measures should be taken in respect to
their protection; and to report the
same at the next session of the Legisla-
ture." Under this resolution, Cover
nor Barstow appointed Ex-Governor
Redfeld Proctor, Hon. Frederick Bill
lings and Hon. e. j. Phelps, as COM
missioners, and they organized by
choosing Ex-Governor Proctor as
chairman. That gentleman prepared
and forwarded to careful persons in
all parts of the State circulars request
ing information as to the extent of the
forests in each loo lily, the progress
being made in stripping them, and so
on. The gentlemen address ed have
been gathering the information desired,
and answers from neatly all of them
have been received: and when all the
returns shall have been received and
cOllated the commissioners will begin
their sessions, having before them the
the data for thorough and exhaustive
investigation of the subject.
In the meantime, several important
propositions are under consideration
by the commissioners. The first is that
the Legislature be asked to prohibit
the railroads in this State from using
wood in their locomotives. 1t is
believed that the quantity of timber
taken out for lumber is so small, com
paratively, that the natural growth OF
our forests is sufficient to replace it,,
and more; but it is the enormous
amount of wood for fuel annually de-
manded by our railroads that causes
the denudatiou of our forests. Such a
matter will strike most laymen as a
queer one for Legislative intervention !;
but the eminent lawyer who is a
member of the commission has, we
understand, given it as his opinion that
the Legislature has perfect right to
make and enforce the prohibition al
luded to. Whether the Legislature
can be persuaded to do so, is of course
quite another question. Many farmer
who own timber land would doubtless
object to such legislation; but after all
they ought to see that the preservation
of the forests will in the long run enure
greatly to their benefit, giving them
advantages which no merely temporary
gain could for one moment be compar-
ed with. In this connection we may
say that a prominent and wealthy
citizen of Addison county Hon.
Joseph Battell-has purchased twelve
thousand acres of land in that count,
for no other purpose than to preserve
the forests which now fioul ish upon il
from destruction. Had the State a
few more men as actively Interested in
the subject there would be no need OF
a forestry commission.
The commissioners, furthermore, are
considering the desirability of further
restrictive legislation aud OF offering in
some form bounty on ee-planting
or course they have as yet formed nc
definite plans, aud we give this briet
summary of some of the suggestions
presented to them in the hope that il
may elicit a discussion which will b, OF
service and interest. AS to the commits
sioners themselves, we can only repeat
what We have before said, in substance
that each Of them is much interested
in this subject and one or two of them
perhaps all have made it a study to 8
greater or less extent; that they can be
relied upon to give careful attention
to the matter committed to them, t.
obtain the needed information anC
place IL clearly before the Legislature
while any recommendation of needed
legislation or other measures for the
protection of our forests from such {
commission will come with very grea
weight; and that their report can no