The sun., 1893-01-22

Six Great Timber Tracts wiihdrnwn-The
Further Legislation Needed.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-One OF tho most COM
mendablo provisions ever made for the pro-
lection OF trees on the public lands Is con-
tained In tho act OF March O. 1891. which al
lows forest areas to be set apart, by proclama-
ton OF tho President. at the headwaters OF
rivers In the Western States and Territories.
The largest reservation thus far secured
under this act is the ono on the south and cast
Of Yellowstone Park, which embraces ,239O40
acres or about one and a half times the nrea
OF Rhode Island. Only little Iess extensive
is the magnificent White River reserve. living
in Eou,t. Rio Blanco Garfield. and Eagle
counties. Colorado. which includes 1.l9SUS0
acros, Considerably smaller. yet important,
Is the Pecos River. In Santa FG. San Miguel.
lilo Arriba. and Taos counties. New Mexico.
embracing 311.OiO acres. Still another Is
Pike's Peak reserve. in FL Paso county. Colo
rado. with its 1Si.320 acres. A NTH IL the
Plum Creek timber reserve. In Douglas county.
Colorado. having 17TT0O acres. Finally tho
Bull Kun timber land reserve. in Mutnomah.
Wasco and Clackamas counties, Oregon, in
cludcs $4,000 acres
Here we have. in six timber reserves. an ag-
gregate Of 3. .252. 300 acres.or over 5000 square
miles, all provided for under the law passed
two years ago and practically saved from pri-
vate appropriations. Seluoia and Grant rnrks
in California are practically forest reserves OF
q special character created under special laws.
while the great addition made to the Yosemite
Valley reservation by creating n national
pleasure ground. which completely encloses
the original tract granted to California. and
far exceeds 1t in area must also be accounted
among recent forest reserves.
Returning to tho six public forest areas es.
tablished under the law Of 1891. the sugRes-
ton has been offered that they should receive
protection either by stationinG small detach-
ments OF troops upon them. or by an appropri-
alton Of Congress to pay custodians and watch
mon for the prevention OF depredatons and
the checking Of fires. 1t would seem that
such protection ought to be furnished even as
a mere matter OF economy, since the actual
value OF the timber destroyed by illegal cut
ting or 10y fires is so great Perhaps troops
could undertake portion of these duties. and
civilian employees of the Interior Department
could perform the rcst.
In the twelve months reviewed recently by
Secretary Noble $40 timber trespass cases.
involving a value Of $471, $40. had been re-
ported upon by special agents. Many Of these
were settled for comparatively small amounts
and the total sum recovered during the year
was S1O7.155.59. As the APPROPRIATION for
this branch Of the public service was only
100000 it more than paid for itself. On tho
1st of July last there, were pending 2S2 GRIM
ina suits for unaTHiily S t;xl cutting , or romoyinS
total Of Sl.4Ol,5IS The appropriation. hov,,
ever. ,ior ssrccial agents during the current
memory serves. OF their methods Of pro-
One objection to timber reserve acts and tim
Der protection laws 9t al sorts ls that tho peo-
e in the ot Or se tra
i9 H rom poy as anso ses for hsoBS law OF
lNpf fnr n
her @ on non. neral lands IN certain States and
Territories. and 425 applications for such per.
cal year. OF these 125, were rejected as not
being on non:mineral lands. p were, with
No permit runs longer than q yenr and not
more than half the mmerchantahletimbe me on the
applications and the decision upon them. SO as
to protect the public timber from heing de-
enes ennes 5een wE Set the
is SO important that the Land Commissioners
urges its extension to all the states and Terri;
lands. In Idaho and Montana. whore much OF
the unsurveyed timber land is within the pri-
ic iiaiiroaI. this company has liled protests
against recruiting timber cutting on such
been set apart to 1t. The Interior DEPARTMENT
holds that thns? protests p... are justified. and
# ar there
ing the lands within ths grant. SO that the odd
sections may Do assigned to the company
But the most i'm port ant suggestions relating
to forest reserves and TO the cutting and re-
moSai OF timber, from the public lands. are the
following from the report Of the General Land
COmmls ssloner:
Provisl on should made for the immediate reserva.
ton all public Lands bearing forest. timber
'HP f ysifs ~ res ocat"9s 'rF n. &C.
should be authorized to procure from the pubic timber
r eet .%ss and sh! Of Their Claims 'a
The cntl'ng or removing OF pnbc timber sLoM!d be
ll ~
% M Gr "s aS 0aeT n nS. ss or pS
enacted and rules and regulations prescribed by tho
timber is located or unless 1ermit to cut timber
first been procured from the Secretary OF the Interior
ing tlmhrr growing being public lands, whether by
nrc telling or "tn.rmse WITH the provision attached
under the act one half shall ho pad TO the inform
county OF counties IN which the offence mlted.
To reserve at once all public timber lands.
under the conditions and for tho purposes
thus named. is n radical proposition. but 1t has
previous Commis ssioners TO say the truth.
however. the tendency seems to be rather In
the other direction; t1r the law apprcvedast
mining laws" in ono Of its sections extended
to all the states having M M public M lands the law Of
California. Oregon. Nevada and Washington.
Accordingly. any. timber lands unit for cuiti-
walton and not within military. Indian. and
so sqa a ss
exceeding l'jO acres to any one person or ASSOC
citation Of persons; This law opens the timber
hitherto not known: and it is to be hoped that
the Land Once will lot Congress know. Mt tho
present session. how it is operating and is
likely to operate.
sunk by nn Ice FIoe.
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