St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-02
FOREST RESERVATION.
The Chief of the Forestry Division
Answers Some Globe Questions.

that you have understood the objects of
the large forest reservation asked for
in the northern part of your state.
You recognize the objects as legitimate
and desirable; the objects in brief being
to use the forest crop within the borders
OF this reservation nationally. You are
only in doubt as to how this is to be
brought about; what are the methods
proposed to attain the objects.
This is not only the most important,
but also the most difficult question to
be answered, and whoever attempts the
answer must realize that any new de.
parture is bound to be imperfect in the
start, that new machinery is apt not to
run smoothly on account of friction,
and that time and experience alone can
perfect new system.
We have, however, not left this ques-
ton undscussed. 'in darkness and
mystery" for the methods by which
our objects may be attained were made
the subject matter of all elaborate bill,
which was introduced into congress as
long as four years ago, when it was an
ticipated that all the public timber
lands belonging to the United States
should be withdrawn and properly
managed. The same principles. naturally
with notifications as to application.
hold good for the management of single
reservations.
Without trespassing upon your space
too much, | can give here only the
merest outline of the provisions of that
bill, with such notifications as seem
necessitated by the singleness of reser-
vationS. submitting to you at the same
time copy of the bill and fuller dis
cussion Of the difficulties to be over
come in its realization.
The bill provides for examination of
the lands temporarily withdrawn and
classification into three classes: Lands
distant from the headwaters Of impor-
tant streams. covered by timber of COM
mercial value. more valuable for forest
purposes than cultivation; lands par
TALLY or wholly covered by timber, but
suitable for homeSteads and more valu-
able for agricultural purposes than for
timber; mountainous or other wood
lands. which for climatic, scenic or
other public reasons should be held per-
manently as forest reserves. The agri-
cultural land is to be restored to entry,
and provision is made to permit their
entry during the examination.
The timber lands are to be placed un-
der government management, and title
to the same is not to pass out of the gen.
eral government, unless it be eventually
to the state government.
A competent man, that is man with
the knowledge of woodcraft, such as is,
found among the employees Of large
timber concerns, with judgment and ad-
miulStrative ability. is to be placed in
charge of the reservation. one for every
100000 acres or less, according to local
conditions, who, with from ten to
fx.n n,afr vota Ic fDr
tracts in his charge.
Patrols of cavalry troops during the
dangerous season may cooperate with
the civil authorities to keep out fires
and trespasSers, and cooperation with
the state authorities is also provided.
The central supervision of this system
of administration is to be in the depart
ment of the interior, or perhaps the de-
partment of agriculture.
The disposal of the timber is to be
made under system of licenses and
such regulations as will insure preven-
tion of waste and fire, and also desirable
reproduction. The methods for accom-
plishing this latter are technicalities
which differ in different localities and
cannot be determined for general appli-
cation, but only after a study of local
conditions.
Thare are two kind of licenses pro-
vided, namely, domestic licenses and
lumbermen's licenses. OF the first
three classes are made. The prospect
orS' license. granted by the superin-
tendent upon payment of two dollars,
confers the right to prospect for miner
ais and to cut timber for first coDStruc-
ton. the license good for given dis
trict for one year or until the claim is
perfected. The settlers license, also
for nominal fee, permits cutting for
domestic purposes of fuel and fence
material OIL designated area.
A timber license is granted TO the saw
mill man who is to supply the commu-
nifty at home with their building ma
terial, ETC., covering from forty to eighty
acres, and involving. besides higher
fee, stumpage charges.
The lumberman'S license. which is to
apply to lands of the first class only, is
designed to meet the needs of the lum-
Der operator. 1t may comprise from one
to twenty-five contiguous sections, be
good for two to four years. and be
granted only by the central administra-
ton. The payment includes fees, acre
age and Stumpage charges and various
other conditions. For the detail and
minor provisions must refer you to the
bill.
Provisions for the occupancy of the
reservations by campers, fishers, hunt
erS, proSpectorS, lumbermen, railroads,
etc., are of course also necessary. These
are to be of the most liberal nature, for
these reservations are not parks, but
forest reserves, and hence restrictions
are only to keep in view the prevention
of damage.
There are only two valid objections to
the proposition of such an admlniStra-
tion-the need OF. more government en-
pioyes and the cost. The first objection
is hardly proper in country that
prides itself ON self-government; to be
sure, proper safeguards in the selection
of the officers is as necessary in govern
ment as in private affairs. There is no
way out of it; if you want management
you must have managers, and efficiency
can be expected only from men who de-
vote their entire time and energy to the
management of such an arduOuS busi-
ness as the forest reservations imply.
AS TO cost OF the service, L calculate it
to be from to 10 cents per acre at the
highest, while it would be poor timber
land that could not yield IL to Is cents
per acre at the lowest, assuring an an
nual revenue of from to cents, which
must increase as better management
becomes applicable. And all this with
out decimating the forest resource,
without laying waste the country, with
out endangering the water supplies and
climatic conditions, without interfering
with rational development of all the re-
sources of the locality.
Shall we have snch rational manage
ment of our resources or go on in the
selnl-eivilized vandalistic ways that
characterize our present methods? Shall
we have the support of the GLOBE in
attaining these objects? Respectfully
yours, b. Il. FERNoW.
Chief of Forestry Division,