Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-23
PROTECTING PUBLIC TIMBER
Interesting Report from the Senate Com
mittee on Forestry.
SUBSTANCE OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION
1t Is Not Believed That Individual States
Would successfully Manage the Ques-
tion If Given an Opportunity
Washington Gossip.
WASHINGTON BUREAU OF THE BEE, !
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,
WASHINGTON, u. c., July %. J

| WASHINGTON. d. c., July %.
| Senator Paddock FROM the committee on
| agriculture and forestry. has made report
| recommending the adoption Of his bill pro-
vding for the establishment, protection ana
administration for public forest reservations
| and other purposes, which will be OF great
| interest to BEE readers. II deals intelli-
| gently and practically with the question OF
| protecting timber upon lands owned by the
government in conjunction with the states
| ltproposes cooperation between federal and
| state governments in such a way as TO make
| tho preservation of the public forest not
only easy and secure. but practically without
cost. making the surplusage OF timber pay
| the expenses.
The report covers eleven closely printed
pages Of original matter pre- pared by Senator
Paddock with great care. Among other
| things the senator SAYS: "The United States
government retains somewhat less than ~,
| 100000 acres of public domain, which Is
designated as timber or wood land. mostly
situated on the slopes and crests of the west
| ern mountain ranges. There are still some
Woodlands undisposed of in Minnesota, Wis
| consin, and PROBABLY small amount in
Michigan, Louisiana Mississippi, Alabama
| and perhaps Florida, but the bulk lies on the
! Rocky mountains, Pacific coast and Sierra
| growth (pines, spruces, frs, cedars and red
woods), and mostly in suDarid regions.
| This property is at present left without
| adequate administration, nor Is thers in ex-
| istence any practicable system of manage
| ment by which the timber on it can be util-
lied without detriment to the future of the
| forest growth. -...
How the Property Is Decimated.
In consequence of the absence of we'll de-
| veloped system Of administration the value
| OF this forest property Is annually decim-
| ated by fire and by illegal and wasteful
cutting. Tho worst damage of fire is not
| so much to be sought in the destruction of
| the standing timber, but in the destruction
| OF the forest floor by which the chance of
| terminating of seeds and natural reforesta-
| tion is annihilated, and the wRtef regulating
| capacity of the forest is destroyed. 1t is
! we'll known fact, demonstrated by Eu-'
| ropean experience and practice, that by q
| proper system of cutting not only can a
| forest be reproduced without the necessity
| OF expensive planting and kept continuously
| productive but It's yield per acre In quantity
| and Quallty can be, by proper management
increased considerably beyond that Of the
| virgin forest left without management.
ut may be possible by commonsense
| management and more rational methods Of
| utilizing the timber. having some regard to
| the young growth inaugurated avoid the
| necessity OF planting at great cost, and to
maintain the present forest resources Of the
| United States IN sufficient and ever increas-
| lug prouuctiveness.
ut is also established beyond controversy
| that the forest cover and specially the for
est floor of leaves, twigs, decaying vegetable
matter, under brush and root system, intiu-
| ence the regularity of water flow in springs,
| brooks and rivers as we'll as the state OF the
ground water level, the presence or absence
| OF an efficient forest covor determining tho
| percentage of subterranean or superficial
| drainage
Facts and Theories.
| "Whatever the theories or facts regarding
the influence of forest areas upon meteorolo-
gical phenomena and climatic conditions,
| land these are partly at least still in contro-
| versy) there exists but little doubt IL any
among students and observers in regard to
the influence which forest cover exerts
upon the water drainage and soil copdi-
tions: Aside, therefore, from the unde-
STABILITY OF destroying or unnecessarily
| ihpairing q valuable resource OF material
which can be continuously reproduced OH
land otherwise useless, there is strong
reasons why, especially IN regions dependent
| upon irrigation for their agricultural de-
velopment favora bic forest conditions should
| be carefully maintained.
"Under private ownership forest conditions
| are almost invariably destroyed or deterio-
| rated tor the simple reason that the timber
| for present use is the only interest which
| private enterprise recognizes in the forest,
| not being concerned in the future or in the
| consequences OF mismanagenent to adjoiners
| who have to suffer.
| "The ccssion OF the public domain TO the
| individual states with view to having the
states devise methods Of conservative man
| agement would fail In accomplishing the
object for various reasons Experience in
| the past with such cessions has not proved 1t
practicable to place restrictions or condi-
tions upon such cessions or to enforce them.
Present Proposed Legislation.
"The present proposed legislation keeps in
| view the following principles: That the
| retention Of the public timber lands In the
| general government and their administration
as such is tho only proper policy for all
wooded areas of the public domain which
do not stand on agricultural land, that only
full developed and separate sys-
ten of management and administration
carried on oav,S by competent mon under
objects Of a rational foreign policy; that the
object of forest regulations is two fold,
namely, TO maintain desirable forest condi-
tions with regard 10 wateriiow, and at the
same time to furnish material to communi-
ties in their neiehborhood; that, while the
service Of protection Of water sheds would
warrant an expenditure out Of other funds
| for such service, IL should nevertheless pay
for itself by tho sale OF surplus forest ma
terial.
1.-The proposed legislation contemplates
| q segregation OF the timber lands that are
| standing on now agricultural soil from the
| other public lands and the transfer Of their
administration from the Department Of In
| terror, where lands are held only for dis
| posal, to the Department of Agriculture
| which is designed TO look after cultural
matters and where bureau In charge Of
foresty already exists"
Thinks the Ticket VIII Win.
1T is q magnificent ticket and will be
elected" said Senator Pettigrew today, ia
reference to the republican nominations
made yesterday in South Dakota. "All of
the best elements of the party and avoca-
| tious in the state have been recognized" the
senator continued. land IL will draw more
than the full strength OF tho party. shell
don. the nominee for governor. IL an honora-
BILE, hard working, practical, and not q
theoretical agriculturist. He made the best
speeches we have ever heard in the state is
sound on all the issues is not above his sta
tion in life and the farmers like him, while
at the same time everybody has oniidence
Ia him. He Is a clean, able man. Herrsid
the nominee for lieutenant governor, is a
German, q gentleman, thorough going citi-
zen, and the great body OF German ana Nor
wegian voters in South Dakota will no dou bt
appreciate the confidence paid their special
friend
II am glad TO see they have recognized the
Black Hills by the nomination of Lucas ior
congress, although am sorry 70 see Jolley re-
tired, for he has boen an intelligent. faithful
and effective representative. There are men
from every section OF the state on the ticket
Inn al ha L.. !.