The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-05
To Protect tho Forest Reserves.

One Of the measures pending in Congress
which should receive early attention at the
coming session is that which relates to the
forest reserves.
There are now sixteen such reserves, ex-
elusive of the Afognak. in Alaska, and they
aggregate IL, 1854, 800 acres. TIL lands &C
tually set apart on them are only those now
vacant or un~appropriated, but even with
the exceptions, which make but q small
amount, the wooded area reserved is enor-
nous. They were set apart under the act
of March 8, 1891, for forestry purposes,
with a view to saving them as far as posi-
BILE from ravages by fire and the axe. %
The difficulty in legislating in regard to
them, which has left them hitherto appar-
emily with no more protection than the
public lands not thus set apart, is to deter
mine the rules for selling portions Of the
timber on them. 1t is assumed that these
reserves are not in the nature Of national
parks, but are established solely in order to
preserve the woods from destruction. n
former systems permits to cut public timber
have been given to companies who have
used them for their own profit, and the re-
sulting objections have been so great hat
the permits are now restricted or alb
solutely stopped. There is another use
for the forest areas which is recognized as
important. namely, the furnishing of ma
terial to the communities in their %neighbor-
hood. 1t can be readily understood that
with tracts so large set apart for public
uses, unless there was some system permit
ting the taking of timber from them, set
tiers might be compelled to go long dis
tances for wood for household and other
purposes and to procure it at a great cost.
During several sessions of Congress the
attempt has been made to unite the preser-
walton of the forest reserves from spolia-
ton with a system Of permits for cutting
which will be just to the people Of the
neighborhood. In addition. it has been
recognized that IL experts undertake the
clearing of forests, the result nay be bene-
| fetal. Nevertheless, conflicting interests
nave thus far prevented legislation, and, as
a consequence, these great areas are exposed
to continual trespass and to fires.
There is one point on which a general
agreement should be reached, namely, that
to the army may safely and properly be in
trusted the care Of these areas under the
system of guards which has proved 80 bene-
fetal in the Yellowstone and Yosemite
parks. The question may arise, how it is
that these details Of troops are not made
now. without waiting for legislation on the
subject. The answer is that the legal au.
thorities to which the War Depart
ment referred the question found that
there is no existing authority to as
| sign troops to this work, and that the ok.
press direction Of Congress is required for
such an assignment. The advantage of
using regular troops for this service is not
only that they are trained men, who com.
mand respect, but that they can be EN-,
ployed without cost, as they are in any case
to have pay and rations.
1t is to be hoped, therefore, that rather
than let the whole subject go without legis.
lation, as hitherto. this provision for the
employment of troops may be separated
from the general bill in which it is found
and enacted az a measure by itself. A more
desirable course would be to settle the
whole question of the rules to prevail on
the forest reserve with respect to the cutting
and selling of timber; but II that should
again prove impracticable q compromise
might well be made by at least furnishing
protection TO the timber lands, 80 that the
ravages OF past years may be stopped.