The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-01

Garden and FOrea,
The first step in the effort to provide
for the conservation OF the forests on the
national domain should be the with
drawal from sale OF all iorCstOnds be.
longing to the nation. II will not be
necessary to preserve and maintain all
these forests permanently, but the ex.
tent OF forest.territOry which will be
required by practical plan Of forest
preservation and management for our
Western mountain regions cannot be at
once precisely determined. A thorough
examination Of these regions, and Of the
agricultural country depending upon
them for Its water supply, will be neces-
sary. in order to show what forests must
DO retained, and what tracts Of timber
can be put upon the market without in
Jury to the important interests involved.
Until such an examination has been
made, none OF the iorest.lands now be-
longing to the United States should be
sold.
The second step should be to commit
to the United States army tho care and
guardianship Of the forests belonging TO
the nation. There is in time OF peace no
other work OF national defense or proteC-
ton SO important as this which thearmy
can perform, and 1t is plain that under
existing conditions the forests on the na-
tional domain will not be-indeed can
not be-adequately guarded and protect
cd by any other means. The measures
which have been tried, including those
now in operation, or nominally In opera
ton, have proved almost entirely inef-
fectiye. The forests on tho public lands
arc pillaged by settlers, and by the en-
ployes OF railroad and mining companies,
without scruple or limit. Other instru-
nents will have to DO employed II tho
forests arc to DO preserved. Their COM
plete 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 a very
short time.
The officers OF the United States army
are educated by the nation for its ser.
vice, and they constitute u body OF men
not eQualed by any other in our country
In their equipment for guarding and
protecting the great forest regions be-
longing to the nation. They possess
every kind Of fitness for this work in
greatet degree than any other class OF
men, and II authorized by law to under.
take this service they would have the
power and the means necessary for Its
performance, while everybody else Is at
present inevitably powerless and iacapa.
bic. Asthereislikely to be very little work
for the army hereafter In the caro- Of the
Indians, 1t will DO available for this ser.
vice OF guarding the national forests.
The work can bo done well by tho army,
and It would cost nothing, or very little,
while any otlier plan would necessarily
be both ineffective and costly, This
guardianship and defense OF the nations
forests by the army Of the nation should
be continued and maintained until q
number Of adequately trained
and equipped foresters has been provld.
cd By the National Government for tho
administration Of a complete and per.
manent system and policy for the man.
agement OF tho forests on the public
domain.
This brings tis TO consider tho third
step. This should DO tho appointment,
BY tho President, OF a Commission TO
make thorough examination Of the
condition OF tho forests belonging 10 the
nation, and Of their relations 10 the AZ.
interests Of tho regions through
which tho streams flow which have
their sources In these forests, and to re.
port, with the facts observed, a COmpre.
henBiye plan for the preservation and
management Of tho public forests, In.
Guiding q system for tho training by the |
Government, Of q sufficient number OF
Iorpsters lor tho National forest service,
The commission should determine
what proportions Of tho existing forests
On the public domain should bo pGrnl.
iently preserved, aud In what manner
he remainder should DO disposed Of,
The national forests can DO so managed
hat they will DO perpetually reproduced,
md will yield forever an abundant sup.
,ly Of timber for tho inhabitants Of tic
Idlacert country, and a revenue which
vii more than sustain the cost oil the
crest service. A National School Of
forestry should 10 established at d suit.
blU place In one Of the great mountain
oresiB on the public lands, and lis equip.
nVnt should DO as thorough aud ado.
luatB for its purpose IA Ia that Of the
National Military Academy At West
'Olnt. tt '