The San Francisco call., 1896-10-11
FORESTS MAY Be
OF NATIONAL USE
Government Inspection OF
Pacific Coast Timber
at an End.
Commission Leaves to Prepare
Its Report on Status
and Needs.
JOHN MUIR WANTS A POLICY.
The Veteran Devotee of California
Wooded Hills and Dales Be-
speaks Popular Interest.
JOHN MUIR WANTS A POLICY.

"While am not authorized to give out
the Commissioners report / violate no
confidence in saying that all the Commis-
sioners are agreed that an administrative
policy governing the forests of the United
States is urgently required. The forests
must not only be preserved but used. They
may be made to constitute a perennial
National supply of immense value, where
as now"
John Muir, the veteran tree-loYer and
California natural wonder writer, was
speaking yesterday on the important sub
iect of National forests. He had Just re-
turned from an extended trip with the Ma
tional Forestry Commission throughout
the Western States, the Commissioners
having travelled unweariedly to all the
largest timber belts, and being now on
their way home to the East, where next
week they will meet to prepare an ex-
haustive report.
The Commissioners were men of
National repute and included: Professor
c. s. Sargent (chairman) OF Harvard Uni
versity; Professor Brewer of Yale, a
botanist, and famed for his connection
with the old Whitney geological survey;
0CACAaA LIZ AUSObls OOnACClC0 Will LAc
railway surveys in the Cascades in early
times and with the building of the great
levees along the Mississippi River; DR..
Arnold Hague, United States geologist,
perhaps best kRown for his work in
Yellowstone Park; Clifford Pinchot
(secre tary), who has made forestry a pro-
iession, having been placed in charge OF
VanderbilJS property, "Billmore," IN
North Carolina, which he is managing on
European lines; Professor Alexander
AgassiZ, son of the famous professor, but
who was not able to accompany the party.
John Muir is not a member of the COM
mission, but was invited TO accompany it
as a local expert. He felt he had been
fighting for the forests pretty nearly alone
for long enough and gladly jumped at the
chance of such material assistance as the
commission offered.
The commission and MIR. Muir met in
Chicago on July 2 and almost immedi-
ately started on their long trip of inspec-
tiOn the idea being to cover as much
ground as possible, while not neglecting
any point of Importance.
The party first visited the Black Hills,
South Dakota, the epithet "black'' being
caused by their appearance at a distance
owing to covering OF yellow pine. Here,
as at all other points, the Commissioners
investigated existing cond tlons to devise
bL1O DSSb 4SohS AOA IAO PACccA u
the trees.
Thence they went on to Yellowstone
Park and the forests adjacent; thence
north through Montana to the forests on
the headwaters of the Flathead River;
thence to the head of the Kootenay River;
down to Spokane Falls; back along the
Northern Pacific road to Missoula where
the Anaconda mills are working taking
in the Wind River and Blue Mountains
in Idaho. and so on through the forests of
Oregon and Washington into the region
about Mount Rainier and the wild and
little-known region of the Olympic Noun
tains.
Thence the little party of foresters
1ourneyed to Ashland and by private team
to the wonderful Crater Lake country,
comprising a reserve of 100000 acres,
being the largest of all reservations pro-
claimed by Cleveland.
Returning by a different route past
Crater Lake, the Commissioners went to
Grants Pass on the railroad and thence
down by private conveyance to the coast
by Rogue River and Smith valleys, visit.
ing Crescent City and the Del Norte coun-
try, and so reached what they considered
the most important of the coast timber
belts, viz: the redwoods
From Crescent City the party travelled
southwark along the coast by private team
10 Eureka and thence by branch railro Dad
to Scotia, on Eel River, whence some of
the Com missioners came down to this City
by steamer and others by stage through
the redwoods to Ukiah and thence TO San
francisco by rail.
In this City the alleged grievances of
timber-claim spectators along the Tuol-
umne were listened to, and then the COM
mission continued its inspection. One
party branched out TO the Mount Shasta
region and another through the Yosemite
and Kings Canyon; another through the
Santa Lucia range, $50 miles south. strik-
ing up to the Sequoia National Park, and
again south to the San Gabriel and San
Bernardlno reserves to the San Jacinto
Mountains and on to look over the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado reserve in Ari-
zona.
''At this point" said Mr.. Muir. al
turned back toward home, leaving the
Commissioners to spend a week in the
Colorado reserves and afterward to 90
East to prepare a report that promises to
be of special interest
''The United States is in peculiar di-
lemma just now as regards its forests. A
few of US have secured protection for four
National parks, including the Yellow
stone, Yose mite, General Grant and Sc
quota. There are also seventeen reselva-
tions which are protected to a certain
extent by proclamation and posting of
rules by the Government, but something
more than a paper stuck on tree is re-
quired to keep off sheepmen and other
undesirable characters.
''Tre chief objection to the present lack
of system is twofold. The forests are not
preserved ard the timber on the reserva-
tions is not available for use. What we
want is definite administrative policy by
which We could regulate the preservation
and use of these valuable timber belts.
They might insure US proper water sup
ply as well as furnish US timber of vast
National value.
Gall the Commissioners are OF one mind
concerning the urgency of immediate
steps. A few blue-coats with muskets
about a reserve work marvels, and little
system as to timber cutting and planting
would mean incalculable' millions to this
country. Untold damage has been done
by ignorance and avarice, but not more
than can be remedied by wise policy.
II hope the people and press will take
up the matter and, should the recon-
Dendations of the Commissioners be feasi-
BILE, insist upon their immediate adoption.
The wealth as well as the beauty of the
country depends.on it,
Special Service.