Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-04-02

Two bills, introduced at the present SEES
sion, ARE before Congress relative TO tine
preservation of our national forests. One
was introduced by Senator Edmunds ana
one by Senator sherman. senator Eu-
munds's bill provides for the establish
ment of "a forest reservation on the mead
waters of the Missouri river and the head
waters of Cark's Fork OF the Columbia
river" Senator Sherman's is ga bill for
the preservation of the woods and forests
of tie national domain adjacent TO
the sources of the navigable rivers
and their alluents in the M
ted States" Both bills are the same
in intent, Senator Sherman's being
the more comprehensive OF the two The
object of both is to secure action from
Congress which shall prevent the destruc-
ton of the great forest tracts surrounding
and adjacent to the sources of our prncl-
pal rivers, and thus preserve to us our in
land highways of commerce, while ensur-
, ing immunity from sudden and dangerous
floods, severe climatic disturbances, etc.
Now is the time, if ever for Congress to
take such action as is set forth i'll these
bills. The large tracts Of forest
surrounding the head-Waters OF the great
river of the West are as yet the property
of the government They are still the
forest primeval," unsettled, and almost
inaccessible to any but the sportsman and
the adventurer. Congress can, and
should. pass laws reserving these national
forests and withdrawing them from pub
lie sale and entry Railways are rapidly
penetrating the sections of country Dor
derng these forest tracts, and
unless Congress makes of them a
public reservation the lumbermen
will soon begin their destructive
operations. Once these lands are denuded
of forests, the great rivers which have
their sources there will become unnaviga-
bic to large vessels. In spring time they
will become the channels of destructive
floods, carrying on larger scale the ter
ror and desolation which now attend the
breaking up of many of our Eastern rivers
Furthermore should these forests be
given over to the lumbermen the West is
almost certain to be visited by still more
severe cyclones and storms than those Ct
recent years. The influence of forests
upon atmospheric disturbances is we'll
known, and has been conclusiVely proved
by scientific observation. The removal of
large tracts of forest has a tendency to
increase the frequency and violence OF
winds and storms The Western icy
clone. " it is thought by some, is largely a
product of atmospheric changes produced
by cutting away large sections of forest in
the North and Northwest. Be this as it
may, there is no question that changing
the entire surface of a section of country,
by removing natures great protector and
equalizer the forest, tends to create
atmospheric disturbances of more or less
violence. a proper proportion OF forest to
cleared land is necessary for the main
tenance of the most favorable climatic
conditions of any section of country.
Should Congress fail to legislate upon
these bills, the danger is considerable that
spectators and lumbermen, forewarned
and forearmed, will buy up large sections
of these Northwest forests, and render
future legislation far less effective. The
bills of Senators Edmunds and Sherman
are wise and timely. They should be
urged upon Congress and passed without
DELAY