Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-07
DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER.
THE STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY NE
M0RIALIzEs CONGRESS-.
Temporary Repeal of the Timber Entry
Law Urged-The Great Need
of Surveys.

The following memorial from the Cali
fornia State Board Of Forestry was PIE
scented in the United Ststes Senate yester-
day:
To the people of the United Sta es inhabi-
tating the so-called aid districts. or those
States and Territories visited either with scanty
or only periodical Isinialis, there is no single
question that 50 profoundly affects their ma
terial welfare and future prosperity as that of G
cOplOCs and enduring water supply Tor domeS
tic, mining and irrigating uses. any condi
tons which result n lmpalring even slightly
the supply now obtained n these districts must
be viewed with appTebension-any material
decrease il some of The affected localities would
imply shriIsGge OF millions Of dollars in tax
able values; while failure OF present supply
would involve in business paralysis and hnsn-
cial bankruptcy some OF the fairest ana most
thriving sections OF the great Southwest. The
continue progress and future development of
large portions of Colorado. sew Mexico, Ne
ysda, Arizona, and above all, California seems
to be only limited by this question OF water sup
ply, and IL would appear 70 be g nne field for
Cor gressiOnal action 10 inquire into causes
threatening its diminutiOn, and By wise rene
dial measures preserve the integrity of such ss
we have and wherever possible its increase aud
usefulness.
Recent Investigations by the Senatorial Arid
Lands Committee have shown that irrigation,
wherever practiced. h As resulted i'll phenome-
nal benefits 10 people fortunate enough to come
within the scope of its operations. In Califor-
lia the vast area OF the Sacramentc-San Joaquin
valley greater than the State of New York; is
rapidly being opened up 70 settlement and
profitable occupation, chiefly through the
agency of elaborate aud costly systems of irri-
eating canals. The more southern end OF the
State owes its surprising industrial advs noes 10
the successful artificial distribution of nat
urally limited water supply, rather than to
especial climatic or geographical advantages
River bar and placer mining, as is generally
known, can only be pIoftably prosecuted where
water is abundant, and great numbers of pay
ing properties throughout the y est coast are I'M
operated and rendered unproductive during
many months of the yta ar, not so much nom
the inadequaey Of the supply as from the ex-
isience OF partially remedlable conditions
which prevail 20 quickly exhaust the fountain
head.
The source Of the water now enjoyed by the
miners enQ agriCulturalistS of this coast Is
found in rivers. streams and spring having
their incep' ION IN the timber-COveTed slopes and
erests Of the sierra Nevada Noun aims and its
Upon credible information, we believe that
at points upon Kings, Fresno aud the MERGED
rivers above VIII re any waters are Withdrawn
for irrigation or mining purposes, that n So
called dry years" there is already 2 marked
dlmiLutiOn IN the volume OF their waters over
past dry years" and prior to the wantol de
forestatiou Of the brush and undiscovered
slopes of their watersheds.
From personal observation We know this to
be true of the Feather river, ana we believe
-
agricultural and horticultural interests OF this
State are iusidleusly, but unerringly at work TO
imperil AID undermine the inland river COM
meIce of our n0yigeDle streams, the Sacra-
mentO and san joaquin rivers. Unfortunately,
the ownership of much of these timbered lands
has passed into private or corporate hands, and
we say unfortunately adViSedly, as 1t seems i'm
possible 10 impose any torcible restraints that
shall altogether do away with wanton and
wasteful destruction of timber By fire and the
ak, or the pasturiug out of their forest repro
ducttve character by persons unmindful of the
future and heedful o1ly of considerations of
immediate gain to themselves.
Nevertheless, there still remains of the brush
and timber covered water sheds OF the Sierra
Nevadas, aud comprising those PORTIONS upon
which the very life blood of the industries
mentioned depend, millions of acres OF sur
veyed and unsurveyed lands the ownership of
and fee simple to which lie in the Government
of the United States aone.
The custody of these lands at pres ut is in the
Department fthe Interior, aud, as part of the
nations heritage and OF inca culabe value 10
the people Of this country they demand as care
full stewardship aud wise manag .ment as do the
moneys in the public treasury.
A circnlaT OF the General Land Office of date
of March 5, lSS3 calls for the posting on the
pubic domain OF notices warni- e against the
Setting out Of fires; yet such notices, over 500
miles of this State, are not posted, Lor can rec
oTds be found Of arrests OF prosecutions within
this State by Federal officials for such oAenses.
All such action has heretofore been carried out
limited meal and territory to supervise
nearly as vast as the whole Atlantic seaboard.
No further effort seems TO have been made to
arrest the 0bliteratiOn of cur forests from
mountain frs or to check the still more
hlighting and disastrous spoliation of their
young owth By nomadic hocks OF sheep.
Conscientious and vigorous measures have
Ueu1i trtlly carried out by the 0epa tinenL to
bring % justice trespasserS upon these domains
who have eut and stolen timber and fuel there
from, ye, he value and volume of sill the tim
Der snd iGe. lAat has been stolen from the pub
lie domain in California for twenty years past
is insignitc int IS compared with the stand ng
timber ana Young forest thar is annually swept
away by the combined evil agencies of fire and
sheep.
If 1.-THE Of The money and energy applied to
the abatement of the lesser evil had been
brought T. bear upon the suppression of the
greater one, the evil Of which we now complain
would not nave grown to such moHstTUus and
appalling proportions. The unprotected and
uuguArded condition OF the nation forests j. q
const mt menace to trr eholdels and occupants
OF adjacent lands aud the newspaper press of
the whole country, during recent months, has
recorded innumerable disasters to both life and
property from i5es having their origin upon the
public domain; and even II 20 considerati ms
of selEinterest Intervene, the sovereign ought
not to be held uuaccountable for its own laches
when they result il death and disaster TO the
subject.
Ii is here assumed that the water-storing
character Of forests is too well known and con-
ceded to admit of either elaboration or argument
upon that point, and that the danger from Hood
and freshet incident to their indiscriminate re-
moval is as generally known as 1t is freely rec
ognized: nevertheless, to the people OF the Pa
cifc coast forest preservation has another as
pect of the gUavest import to them, and not
necessarily a factor of equal moment in all for
est questions.
Environed on the south and southeast by an
arid, treeless district, almost uninhabitable by
reason of its tor. id summer heats the people of
the adjacent territory can look only upon the
r.oeefh1A o 7l and nuprDaQhmpnt of this
1nhospitable region with protoundeSt apprehen-
sion. Their immunity from invasion from this
hostile climate depends upon the great forests
of the northwest coast, whose benign, anchor
ating and far-reaching influences alone enable
them to maintain the unequal contest with
greater forces. The dimlnution, recession and
final and threatened extinction OF these forests
must cnly result IN the expansion and aggres
sion OF element inimieal to our well being, fatal
TO our prosperity.
Recognizing tee difficulties of formulating
forest protection laws that offer solution OF all
objections thst can be framed, the California
State Board Of Forestry tends rs some Sugges-
tions in this direction that II is telleyed Will
meet the eEigeEt demands of the mining and
agricultural classes. nor yet be 6ntsgouistlc to
tbs grea, lUnb- ring OF live stock Industries of
the State.
first-ExtIe1ne urgency demands the tempo
rarg repeal OF The inherently law in alifor-
mia, and the absolute withdrawal from sale of
all Federal timber lands in this State, until
further surveys have determined the areas and
boundaries OF such tracts as are contained
within the natural watershed of our streams
and waterways FOR obvious reasons the re-
strictiye feature Of the Act must operate prior
not subsequently, to the making of the surveys
otherwise the door is still open for some years
for the perpetustiOn of the injury we would
have abated.
Timber lands not so situated could ultimately
be reopened for sale or occupancy, though no
really valid reason could be adduced to show
why this appeal should net be in perpetuity,
and that all Federal forest lands, irrespective of
their watershed or non-waterShed character,
should not be alienRted to the people at large
and from the individual forever.
Such curse will conduce not only to the
benefit OF the individual, but 10 the Govern
meut as well A forest or timber, like any other
crop, whe. mature is fit to harvest, and when
not subject to wssteful abuses may with pro-
priety aud benefit be cut; when, however, 70
faci itAie arcess TO tract vast quantities OF
intervening lands are laid waste and valuable
timberis left 10 decay and DESTRUCTION; then
such methods become improyldent ana snoulu
be risorously suppressed. In most instances
these outrages are perpetrated upon Use puoilc
do main. and are as deiensibie as would De the
acts of farmer in burning the fields ana oTeak-
ing down the fences OF another ior the purpose
of securing a more expeditions route TO market.
secoud-The timber on such lands when nj
TO harvest should be Sold not the land he
lurnbcrmau as a rule, cares nothing Tor the
iand in buying u forest he is Only |. hueneec
by the number OF feet of sawloEs to the acre,
ard consequently viii pay as much for the tim
her alone as he will for the land and the tim
Der hence in selling the timber alone there is
no loss of revenue 10 the department, while the