Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-20
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FORESTRY
QUESTION.


THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FORESTRY
QUESTION.
The chief causes of forest destruction
are fires and browsing stock Nearly all
the former result from carelessness, though
some few are purposeful. The injury by
stock is due TO the trampling down of the
ground until it packs about the trees, pre-
vents percolation of the water through the
soil and kills off the nutritious heritage.
Sheep destroy the young forest growth by
eating the tender bark and foliage, and
stock herders are known to set fires for the
purpose of burning off dried heritage, and
these fires communicate to the forests
themselves. Added to these causes is the
trespassing upon wooded landslide out
right thieving of timber. Under this COM
bination of assaults it is altogether prob
able that if unchecked, the work OF destruc-
ton of our wooded slopes will have so far
advanced in five years more, as to seri-
ously affect climatic conditions, augment
the danger Of floods, and reduce the capac-
ity of our streams. The irrigation cause
ought to have close sympathy with that of
forestry. In fact, Irrigation, Forestry and
Reclamation should move hand in hand
This journal has for ten years or more
urged consideration OF the forestry cues
ton upon the people. 1t has never failed
in keeping it before the public. The hope
that has been entertained of gaining for it
some measure Of attention has not wayered !:
though until very recently it has not had
much qualification.
Now, it appears, there is growing up q
lively forestry sentiment, and We are in
clined to believe that some active steps
will be speedily taken to prevent the de.
mutation OF our hills.
When the people are fully and wildly
impressed with the truth that the even
flow of the rivers, the avoidance of
floods, the feeding Of the SPRING, the miti-
CATION of great heat, the humidity of the
atmosphere in winter and summer alike.
and the annual precipitation of moisture
all depend in great degree upon the pres
ervation of the integrity Of the forest robes
of our hills and mountains, remedies viii
be applied to correct present ills and pre-
vent greater threatened evils.
We look to action by the American
Forestry Congress at Denver TO greatly
engage public interest in the grave cues
ton. The telegraphed comments of the
New York Sun on this topic prove that
there is 4 sentiment at the East that is
surprised at our inactivity here. New
York has had some bitter experience in
the Adirondack forest region of the dan
gers of forest destruction, and has seen It's
noble Hudson suffer by the stripping of
timber upon its head waters At 4 late
hour the State passed stringent laws to
stop the work of the destroying agencies
and to set apart forever great timber re
servations These steps are being followed
by others to encourage the growing Of tim
Der and the liberal planting of trees
throughout the State. New York, indeed,
is more alive TO the vast Importance of
the forestry" question than any other
section of the Union. There Is some error
but much OF truth in the remarks of the
Sun upon California rivers when it says:
Their very existence is seriously threatened.
Two classes OF Caliioruians are holly disputing
the right 70 water, while the third Is silently
and slowly destroying the capacity of the rivers
10 furnish any water at all during the months
when the use o. water is really essential The
topography Of no other part of the world is 50
adapted to develop dangerous Hoods and sub
sequent periods OF water famine as that of Cali.
forlia. CalifonianS. in the meantime, 20 on
in their vain and short-si9hted efforts 10 divert
into one or another industrial channel the
water that flows from their mountain reservoirs
without any heed to the reservoirs themselves.
California without permanent summer sup
ply of water, supply unreplenish1d by sum-
lner rains. viii perish with its forests. This fact
is rs inmntab!e as the laws OF nature.
There is enough of sound sense in this
to awaken us to the Importance of action
at once. We haze been too long deluded
by the statement of optimists that there is
no danger, because all throughout the
mountain regions a dense underground
of pine is springing up, which promises
greater protection to the soil, longer reten-
ton of water in it and more humidity for
the atmosphere than was due to the orig
inal forests,
All these statements are capable of
refutation, but We cannot at this time enter
upon 1t. 1t must sufhce to say that the
new growth is suffering quite as much as
the old, and that not in quarter of cen
fury viii it, if unframed, afford us the
protection and benefit that we have from
the original. There is nothing to insure
US against the same assault upon the new
pine that has been prosecuted against the
old growth. Indeed, with the increase of
population and expanded occupancy of
lands, We may anticipate but brief life for
oncoming tree-growth. The thing to do,
therefore, is to preserve both old and new
trees from depredaiions of hunters, stock
men and timber thieves.
If there is any doubt in the minds of
any of our readers concerning the gravity
of the question and the importance of
early action and drastic measures, we in
yite them to examine Commissioner