The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-18
CAREOF THE FORESTS
Interview With Senator ID. Il.
Lesh, of Yakima County.
WE WASTE roo MUCH TIMBER.
Fires Dsssrsy Vastly More Thss the
nnis Us.-Bo~ 80 Presess the
Trees by Lavs-

state WHO nave st1slC3et4% tSfeassaA u
realize its Importance an bearing on the
every day affairs and the material welfare
Of the commonwealth. The subject has az
isast one devoted and enthusiastic friend
tn this state. Hon. u. J.. Lssh. q North
Yakima. VINO will have the honor OF rep-
rasenssng Yakima and Kilckitat counties
IN the next state senate. Is thoroughly
convinced that too much attenfion cannot
be given 70 this question from tnAs time
or. lie has apparently studied the Dues
lion In ali It's economic bearings To
post-TnfeilIgencer reporter who met MT.
1,A~h recenfly he called attention to q
number OF interesting facts
II DO not think I exaggerais tho mat
ter. said he. when I say that an mIcn
valuable timber II destroyed every year
by sansslexs fires as is USED In legitimate
numbering in twenty years. Ana tnis III
r~st Ioss In the valas Of destroyed timber
IN Only Quo small part OF the loss ana
damage resulting from these devastating
forest fires. Let nae Just tel you is"
sings I have noticed In this matter.
Anyone who has been accustomed 10
travel oyer the mountains on the North
ern Pacific railroad will reFaefnOer mat
r,y.vt.ss 10 last summer they could have
gsltailea on both SIDES OF Green river near
1got Springs Since the fires OF last SUM
.ner mia line Of devastation has been ex-
tended nearly up 10 the summit bafsng
the month or August ! noticed that these
allislaes we're bare OF snow while neyohn
the Ere limits 81 the same elevation
found snow twenty feet deep
..what dlaerepse does that make. MI
I4rnhY Nobody lives up there In the
mountains"
what difference does II make Don't
vour peopie I'm these cultivated ana thick
IL populated valleys suffer every year
With fiooisg In the winter great depths
Of SNOW falls in these mountains. la me
snrinx and summer II begins 10 melt
where the trees have been killed by hFe
and the protecting shade has disappeared
this snow melts quickly. rnshes down the
mountain. fills the rivers and floods the
valleys The more trees that are killed.
the more devastating viii be the floods
and there Is no way to stop u until the
trees grow again on the mountains at
the sources OF these rivers.
$50 yosa see on this side OF the noun
taIus the damage is done In the Immense
loss az timber and In the ever recurring
and ever Increasing floods Now on the
other side OF the mountains you may
think Il difficult to nnd any use for for
estry. but ! assure YOU that such - not
the case. In the FIRST place We can by no
means AFFORD 20 lose the timber for sueh
"a We have IS very useful for fuel and
lumber, but the trees In the hi1ls and
mountains are also very valuable as pro-
lection 10 cur water supply. Unlike you
puget saunders. we need all the water We
can get for irrigation. Every year the
needs Tor this purpose are increasing al
a great rate our natural reservoir Is
ire snow on the mountains, which. melt
ing slowly under the cover OF the forests
feeds the rivers gradually and the supply
stretches on In ample volume through the
snn,rner months and with the aid OF our
canals AMI bitches the process OK irfisa-
,san. the greatest solution OF AGRICULTURAL
oroblems an earth. il made perfect New
,r these treea are allowed TO be destroy ed'
the result will be that the snow VIII he
melted down IN early spring, CAUSING
frnshets aud floods and the water suifs
win run very low in the summer n'"h'ns'
when e Is needed most
..rhla "a no fancy or dream. Last sum
mer 1 Was up In tho hills, near the
saurea or the Little hiiekitat river
There met some sheep herdefS. Ihey
were In the edge OF tho timber. All
around they had set fire TO the carpet OF
nine needles and underhrush. ana these
flres wer creeping around among the
roots OF the fine trees, prosiueinS sure
death They were simply providing new
nastures for next years herbs OK shtep'
rhe grass grows NJ beautifully on These
new burns This process ~ going on
from year 10 year and the sheep herdefs
arc only enc class OF the raiaous hfe
nnu,ns. Campers. hunters afd others
,hoaehiicssly ata their share 10 this
,.,,,tk ~ aszt ructioa. And on our side %
the mountains the process OF refoFesta-
,ton - much slower than over here. You
sec the forests have simply ereps down
s,o,, Tho summit of the mountains as
the moisture has crept down. and u the
prot.ctioo Of this moisture Is removed
The same slow process must be repeated.
.rt aoa't take much Of a peep into the
su,nre a. convince almost anyone that
some measures og protection should be
taken at cnre
"Whas woald you suKgcstf'
ON ne FIRST place. think the state
should make Sonae move toward protect
inr the forests Then I think some move
should be maize 10 have congress either
declare all puhlic lands above certain
elevation n be forest reserves or cede
thesa lands - the state Tor such care as
No can devise Then when the state In
wurnfatss pianz 20 protect ,hese forests
l., the tatcl states help with "details
af regular soldiers during the months
sren. say july IS to September Is the
most sanEerous portion oe lhe year. This
method ~ cooperation wonl3 make %
.aev for each party ana the rol3iers
would gct welcome relief frosu tha u1o-
sotanv % life In the barracks,
,sff you viii take the trouble % investi-
vate. you VIE notice that the states ot
New YORK. PENNSYLVANIA ant others rs
tha East have awakened - the import
ancn 81 thlS question. and are devOtinE
,,eeh time and money - make amends
Tor tsogr folly ana shcrt-sishtojnoss In
me mast, We have untold wealth AMI
rrotoctton in eur FORESTS, Why should VIZ
not profit ~ the eNsmg'yv cc cur sister
states IN the East ard exercise sowe
Nsrorsas prudence AZ this tines
u trsast the legislature this winter VIII
take some steps IN the rieht direction
toward A sensible forest policy. believe
tsat even A small amount - wrll-aiveet-
"a energy Viii reray the state many
;irnss tie expense In the saving * vsia-
able timber aloue. - say nothing q the
other heneats that are bound - result
srasss she proper execution o. goo4 forest
management"
~. Nsa Know tss 1Aasee