The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-02-10
THE PRESERVATION OF FORESTS.

- UT y
In 1891 when congress was cOdify-
ing the public land laws, it put in
short section which has been most
fruitful Of results. especially in the
far west. The section read as fol-
lows:
Section "a That the President
OF the United States may from time
to time set apart or reserve in any
State or Territory having public
lands bearing forests, in any part of
the public lands wholly or in part
covered with timber or undergr0th,
whether of commercial value or not,
as public reSer TatiOnS: and the PreSi-
dent shall. by public proclamation.
declare the establishment of such res
ervationS and the limits thereof.
Under this provision five forest
reserves have already been set apart
in Colorado, and three others have
been recommended to the President
and will undoubtedly soon be estab-
liShed, while the preliminary exam
nations have been made for four
more. These twelve reserves, actual
and proposed, cover an aggregate area
OF 9,245 square miles. Those that
have been fully established contain
ing 1915 square miles.
The preservation and perpetuation Of
our forest is one of the important
questions of the day and deserves
more attention than has yet been
given it by the public. The idea has
always been prevalent that our forest
supply was without limit, and until
the last few years no attention has
been paid to the destruction that is
gong on. The country is beginning to
wake up to the fact that some atten-
tion must be given to forestry, and that
those tracts of waste land which can
not be utilized in any other manner,
must be devoted to this purpose.
While the preservation Of forests
is a matter that should every where
receive the attention of the people.
it is especially important that the
heavily timbered regions of the
Rocky mountains in Colorado and
other joints, where rise many of the
streams which feed the rivers cthat
water the vast prairies intervening
between there. and the Mississippi,
should be preserved. Here rise the
streams Gthat feed the great river Of
Nebraska, the Platte. Near them
are the feeders of the Arkansas, and
further to the south and west are
found the streams that supply the
Rio Grande, On the continuance of
the volume Of these great rivers and
their tributaries depends the prosper
| ity of thousands and tens or thouS-
ands, not many years hence to in
crease to millions, of the inhabitants
of Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Ar
kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and
Texas On the preservation of the
Rocky Mountain forests depends also
very largely the wood supply of half
a dozen states, each of which is twice
the size of New York. 1t is evident,
then, that the Colorado forests res
ervations are Of very great Importance
and value.
1t has been proposed that for pro-
lection and safe keeping, the present
reserves be placed temporarily at
least, under the supervision of the
army. 1t is urged that the mere
knowledge of the fact that the re-
serves were under military protection
would go a great way toward prevent
ing depredations thereon, and there
is no doubt much force to this. but
whether it is done or not. some
measure should be adopted looking to
this protection from fire and plumber,
and which will also look to the in
creasing of our forest area in man.
ner to conserve to the best interest
J Of the future of the country.
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