Arizona silver belt., 1889-05-18
Needed Forest Legis!ation.
BY EpGAR T. ENSIGN.

importance to the Rocky Mountain re zion, are solicited by EdgarT Ensign, forest commissioner, Colorado Springs, Colo. who will endeavor to supply. in part at least, local demands for print ed information of tbls. nature
 The most pressing need in the way of forest legislation is T general law withdrawing from sale or entry all public timber lands-uniil certain classifications can be made and mak- ing adequate provision for their pro. teciisn from fire and depreciation. Under such a law a system of forest administration should be established which would ctfsctually prevent spolia- tion of the forests and at the same time meet all just and proper demands tor the use of timber.
 1 The larger part of the public forests being situated in the Rocky Mountain region in which many important streams have their source, and agri- cultural operations upon adjacent lands being largely dependent upon systems of irrigation the question of forest preservation and extension there becomes of first importance. The States and Territories of that section cannot oyerestimate the value of tke | continued existence of their forests 1 They should be used most prudsntly and carefully guarded from destruc- tion.
 Colorado, Tn her organic law. sec tions and 7. Art XVIII. of consttu- ton, wisely provided that the general assembly should enact laws to prevent the destruction of and keep in good preservation the forests upon the lands oi the State, or upen tho lands i of the public domain. the control of which might be conferred by Congress upon the State; also that the increase m value of private lands, cansod by the planting of hedges, orchards and forests thereon, sheuld not for linn. 1 ited time, to be fixed hy las, be taken into account in assessing such lands for taxation.
 Under the foregoing constitutional i provisions th2 State of Colorado has established the office of State Forest i Commissioner. ard constituted county commissioners and road oversesrs throughout the State, forest officers in their respective localities. These of- tcers are charged generally with the 1 preservation of forests and the proms- 1 tien of forest tree culture. They are specially charged with tbs prevention i of fires upon forest lands, whether 1 pubic or private. and 10 cooperate with the federal authorities in pre- venting trsspass upon the timber lands of the public domain. Addi- tional legislative acts require the re- spectiye boards of county com mission CTS to cause the posting of notices along the principal highways warning persons to extinguish camp fires, and citing the legal penalties for failure 50 to do.
 The Colorado law IS excellent ia the ory, and in practice accompIisbes all that can reasonably be expected, It cannot afford Il remedy for the greater | ills affecting forest exlstence m that state, fer he reason that the state au. thoritles have no direct control of the public timber lands, and the federal forest administration Gf such it may be caled) IS deplorahly weak and in, sufficient. Either the care and control of the pubic forests should be confer. red upon the state, which has at least a respectable forestry system, or q scheme of federal administration should be devised and put in opera ton which would effect the object.
 In the opinion of the writer, the last named course Is ihe proper one top pur- sue, but then tho question arises how to overcome the inertia Cf nothing worse) Of congress, and secure the needed legislation. From the present standpoint it seems difficult if net i'm possible to obtain the enactment ei proper laws upon the subject until they shall be demanded with compar- ative rnanimity by those states and territories Tn which the public forests are mostly situated, and which arc vitally concerned in their prcserva. tion. To this end these several peliti- cal divisions should actively cooper ate, and one step in the right direction would be for the proposed new states to incorporate in thelr constitutions provisions similar Tn import to those in the Colorado constitutions relating to forest preservation and tree culture
 The question is ono of general in. terest and bears more or less remotely upon the welfare of the entire coun- l try. It has special significance ln con,
 
 nection with the development of agri- culture and kindred industries in the semi-arid west and should receive