The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-27
DESTRUCTION OF OUR FORESTS.


DESTRUCTION OF OUR FORESTS.
It may provoke . smile to warn our
young state, with its enormous and appar-
emily inexhaustible timber wealth. against
the destruction of its forests. but it should
not be forgotten that the great tim
Der growing districts of the East are
becoming deforested with appalling rapid
ity. and when this wo:k of destruction is
completed in the timber states of the East .
tremendous attack will be made upon the
timber supply Of this Coast. The forests
of this Coast are practically inexhaustible.
If they are protected by the sound for
estry laws which preserve the timber re-
gions of Europe, bat if the Pacific coast
states do not In time do something to pre-
vent the same wanton waste Of our splen-
did forests by az and fire that is today
utterly denuding the mountains Of New
Hampshire and the Adirondack region of
New York of its valuable timber,
our timber supply in another century will
be exhausted. The story of the utterly
wanton destruction Of the forests of valu-
able spruce timber in the White mountain
region of New Hampshire. as told in the
current number of the atlantic Monthly,
ought to be read by every intelligent citi-
gen of this state. The reckless use of the
Ak and vast forest fires which have been
permitted to sweep the mountain sides
have destroyed vast tract of these mount
ain timber regions beyond any possibility
of restoration, tor by the fires the vitality
Of the soil to reproduce trees has been
destroyed, and the land once covered with
valuable spruce timber is now growing up
with birch and cherry bushes.
The iumbermen are taking yearly 600,-
000, 900 feet Of rough spruce timber from
the White mountains, and under the con-
slant cutting the forest trees of the state
are unable to grow timber fast enough to
supply what 10 taken away. The spruce
timber that il thus recklessly cut away is
becoming every year more and more valu-
able for building purposes and it would
be wise economy in the Granite state to
pass . general forestry law providing for
the careful cutting Of spruce timber, so
that the younger trees shall not be de-
stroyed. Some Of the more far-sighted
owners Of woodlands have begun to see
this and will not allow any trees to be cut
below the size of twelve inches at the
stump. but the ordinary practice has been
to slash down all spruce timber in the
spirit of utter improvidence. Under favor
al hn
in twenty-five years.
The proprietors of woodlands have vet
to learn that it is quite as profitable to
take out the ripe timber and leave the
younger trees to grow up as it is to strip
the forests clean. And yet the state of
New Hampshire has not . single line on
its statue book relating to its wooded dis
tricts. and in 1867 Gov. Hartman, of New
Hampshire, parted with this White
mountain forest domain, comprising an
area Of thirty miles, then in the posses
sion of the state of New Hampshire, for
the paltry sum of $4,000 to spectators.
Gov. Hartman was q preacher, not q
practical man. but if he could not see the
value OF the forests which he sold for song
he Ought at least to have hesitated before
he robbed the White mountain region of a
large part Of its beauty by selling all its
forest-cIad mountain slopes to timber skin
ners. The Granite state is soon to be asked
to enact some general forestry laws.
This is to be done ''by purchasing an
agreement with the present owners of the
lumber regions that neither they nor their
heirs nor their assigns shall ever cut tree
Of less size than that determined on. 1t
would be understood, in that case, that
the state acquired no title to the land;
that the owner reserved to himself all the
mature timber that might ever grow upon
upon it: that the state had no other care
for the forest than to see that the contract
was executed"
The destruction of valuable forests is
proceeding rapidly in Minnesota, where
syndicate Of lumber dealers have pur-
chased all the available pine timber in the
state of Minnesota, amounting to about
500. 900, 900 feet. This company expects to
cut and market 5o,O00. 600 feet annually.
The product Of the lumber cut in Michi-
gan last year was 8. 79i, 256, 754 feet and the
number of shingles manufactured was
2,137, 647 SIS, and the value of the lumber
and shingles was sec, 0O0, 900. The three
numbering states of the Northwest are
Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota, and
their total production Of lumber last wear
was 1884. o5S. l7S feet, and of shingles l. 24s,-
GO, SO.
A, this rate of destruction how long
will our great forest reserves east OF the
Mississippi endure, and when they are
exhausted the advancing army Of fores,
extirpators will move on the timber
regions of this Coast How long will the
forests of the United States survive the
present policy of reckless. improvident
timber cutting. The Puget Sound Lumber
man gives the following As the number of
feet OF standing timber in the United
States: