Arizona silver belt., 1889-05-18
Needed Forest Legislation.
BY EDGAR T. ENSIGN.

III tOt ldACS tV tHS hOChy h0uHtdlH l g. zion, are solicited by Edgar T. Ensign, forest commissioner, Colorado Springs, Colo, who will endeavor to supply, in part at least, local demands for print ed information of thls nature.
 The most pressing need in the way of forest legislation is a general law withdrawing from sale or entry all public timber lands-until certain claSsifcatiens can be made and mak- ing adequate provision for thelr pro- tectisn from fire and depreciation. Under such a law system of ferest administration should be established which would esectua;;issss i<svent spolia- tion of the forests and at the same time meet all just and proper demands tor the use of tiub ber
 The larger part of the public forests being situated Tn 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 eyerestimate the value of the continued existence of their forests. They should be used most prudsntly and carefully guarded from destruc- tion.
 Colorado, Tn her organic law. sec tions 6 and 7, Art XVIII. of constitu- tion, wisely provided that tue general assembly should enact laws to prevent the destruction of and keep in good preservation the forests upon the lands of the State. or upon the lands of the public domain, the control of which might be conferred by Congress upon the State; also that the increase Tn value of private lands, caused by the planting of hedges, orchards and forests thereon, should net for linn ited time, to be fixed by law, be taken into account in assessing such lands for taxation.
 Under the foregoing constitutional provisions tn, State of Colorado has established the office of State Forest Commissioner, and constituted county commissioners and road overseers throughout the State, forest officers in their respective localities. These of- ficers are charged generally with the preservation of forests and the promo ten of forest tree culture. They are specially charged with the prevention of fires upon forest lands, whether publlc or private, and to cooperate with the federal authorities in pre- venting trespasS upon the timber lands of the public domain. Addi- tional legislative acts require ths re- spective boards of county com mission CTS to cause the posting of notices along the principal highways warning persons to extlnguish camp fires, and citing the legal penalties for failure SC to do.
 The Colorado law IS excellent in the cry, and in practice accomplishes all that can reasonably be expected. It cannot afford a remedy for the greater ills affecting forest existence Tn that state, for the reason that the state au- thorities have no direct control of the public timber lands, and the federal forest administration If such it may be called) IS deploratly weak and in sufficient. Either the care and control of the publlc forests should be confer red upon the state, which has at least respectable forestry system, or a scheme of federal administration should be devised and put in opera tion which would effect the object.
 In the opinion of the writer, the last named course is the proper one to pur sue, but then tho question arises how to overcome the tsl-ttfa ts-tfaa--sffff If nothing worse) of congress, and secure the needed legislation. From the present standpoint it seems difficult if not i'm possible to obtain the enactment of proper laws upon the subject until they shall be demanded with co.npar- ative unanimity by those states and territories Tn which the public forests are mostly situated, and which are vitally concerned in their preserva- ton. To this end these several politi- cal divisions should actively cooper ate, and one step in the right direction would be for the proposed new states to incorporate in their constitutions provisions similar Tn import to those in the Colorado constitutions relating to forest preservation and tree culture.
 The question is one of general in terest and bears more or less remotely upon the welfare of the entire ceun- try. It has special significance Tn con- nection with the development of agri culture and kindred industries in the