Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-09-02
THE TIMBER PRESENTATIONS.

THE TIMBER RESER V.ATIONS.
A New Era in the History of Forestry
For Practical Good Let the New Bill
Become a Law.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: The forestry prob
lem is up for a hearing. OF late years
the fires, animals and the Ak have caused
such a rapid decrease of wood material
that the total area of timber lands of the
United States is found, based upon the
best attainable data, to be less than
500,000.OW acres, nearly 100000 acres
Of which belong to the general govern
ment. In the present unfavorable state
of development, these lands are capable
of giving an increase, at best, of but
twenty-five cubic feet per acre each year,
whilst, on the other hand, the estimated
annual consumption is nearly forty cubic
feet per acre, or, in other words, 12,00O,-
100000 feet over and above the yearly
growth. Then, too, the destruction
caused by fires, should be calculated.
Some years, as in 1880, the fires of the
United States, according to carefully
compiled statistics, destroyed the timber
on 1O,274,0S9 acres, involving a loss of
1926, 1852, $50. Professor B. F. Fernow,
chief Of the forestry division of the agri-
cultural department, estimates the an
nual loss in the United States, due to
conhagrations, at nearly 5",00O,00O,O0O
feet. And thus we are presumably cut
ting into our capital at the rate of at
least SO per cent. of our annual consump-
ton, or, expressed in another way, but
one-half of the annual cut is represented
in the annual new growth. Professor
Eggelston claims that fires cause two
fifths of all losses. But it's most de-
structlve effect is found in that it con-
sames the seeds, seedlings, roots, forest
cover, and destroys the plant-producing
elements of the soil so effectually as to
render the same almost wholly untitled
for the best forms of forest growth.
Thus seeing this alarming oiminution
of our timber supply, and realizing the
necessity of forest preservation at the
headwaters of our streams and rivers,
which nourish vegetation, on March 3,
1891, congress passed a law creating the
timber reserve system which has com Q
rapidly to the front. This marks
NEA R
in the history of forestry. The new law
is defective as it makes no
provision for the proper admins
tration of the reservations. Never
Nevertheless the new system contains so
many valuable features that it has re-
ceived the fullest endorsement of forest
reformers, leaders of thought, the press
and the masses. For many years the
thoughtful practical foresters'demanded
that the national government should
withdraw all it's timber lands from
market that a commission, to be duly
appointed, might select such parts as
might be found necessary for the pro-
motion of forestry and the conservation
of water needful for agricultural pro-
auctions.
In 1883 the American Forestry as
ISOLATION made strenuous butEunsucess-
full efforts to induce congress to pass
such a law. But the act of March 3,
1891, will practically accomplish the
same end.
President Harrison, the secretary of
the interior and the commissioner of the
general land office are in hearty SYM
pathy with the new movement. And all
the reserves presented to the president
have, as far as the writer a learn, been
fully endorsed by him.
Below I give the name and size of the
different reserves. The information is
official, being furnished from Washing
ton. However, there are more bodies of
timber lands or reserves that have been
withdrawn from market which for needed
data I cannot give in this list.
NATIONAL TIMBER RESERVES.
The Yellowstone National park addi-
ton, Northwest Wyoming ....:..... 2.28s,ooo
Pecos hiver reservation, near Santa
Fe, New Observation-Disclosures. 276, 4sO
6.OoO,o 600
Pixies Peak, Colorado: 228 480
Flathead and Marias River reservation,
Northwest Montana .......... 4,4so,OOO
IulRre reservation, California. ....... 4,480,000
Sierra Madre Forest reserve, Southern
1906. $40
western. Oregon 49,. 2so,4oo
Lost Park Forest reserve, Central
SOlOTaQO $40, Ut
Turtle uountain Timber reserve. North
Dakota 1873. s4G
Total 1885, 2C
Besides this, there are other timber
lands set aside by special acts of con.
press that should be added to the above