Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-06-01

drawai from sale OF all forest LANDS
belonging TO the nation. 1t will not DO
necessary to preserve and maj n an
these forests permanently, b eS-
tent of forest territory which 10
REQUIRED by a practical plan OF forest
preservation and management Tor our
western mountain regions cannot Dc at
once precisely determined. A thorough
examination OF those regions. ana OF
the agricultural country depending up
on them for its water supply, VIII 90
necessary. in order TO show what ior-
ests must be retained, and what tracts
of timber can be put upon the market
without injury to the important inter
ests involved. Until such an examina-
ton has been made, none OF the ioIess
lands now belonging to the unltea
States should be sold.
The second step should be to commit
TO the United States army the care ana
guardianship of the forests belonging
10 the nation. There is in time OF
peace no other work OF national defense
or protection so important as this when
the army can perform, and 1t Is pam
that under existing conditions the for
ests on the national domain will not 90
indeed, cannot be-adequately guard
ed and protected by any other means
The measures which have been tried,
including those now in operation, or
nominally in operation, have proved
almost entirely ineffective. The for
ests on the public lands are pillaged BY
settlers and by the employees OF rail-
road and mining companies without
scruple or limit. Other instruments
will have to be employed II the forests
are to be preserved. Their complete
and final destruction, with that OF the
soil which sustains them, Is, under the
present system or want of system. only
a question OF time and OF very short
time.
The officers OF the United States
army are educated By the nation for its
service, aud they constitute Il body OF
men not equaled by any other in our
country in their equipment for guard
ing and protecting the great forest re-
gions belonging TO the nation. They
possess every kind Of fitness for thls
work in greater degree than any other
class OF men, aud II authorized BY Law
TO undertake this service they would
have the power and the means neces
sary for its performance, while every
body else is at present inevitably
powerless aud incapable. As there L
likely TO be very little work for tbs
army hereafter in the care Of the 10
dams, it viii be available for this scr
vice OF guarding the national forests
The work can be done well by tn
army. and it would cost nothing. o
very little, while any other plan would
necessarily be both ineffective ant
costly. This guardianship and defcns
Of the nations forests by the army Q
the nation should be continued an
maintained until a sufficient number o
adequately trained and equipped fo'
esters has been provided by the natior
al government for the administrator
of complete and permanent systci
and policy for the management OF Tn
forests on the public domain.
This brings US TO consider the thir
step. This should be the appointment
by the president, OF commission
make thorough examination Of h
condition OF the forests belonging
TO the nation, and Of their relation
the agricultural interests Of h
regions through which the stream
flow which have their sources in the'
forests, and to report, with the fac
observed, comprehensive plan 4
; the preservation and management
the public forests, including syste
for the training, by the government,
a sufficient number OF foresters for q
national forest service.
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