The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-03
Pennsylvania's Forest Areas.

The average man does not seem to
appreciate the value ofsome Of natures
greatest gifts until ne has practically
destroyed them. With amazing
thoughtlessness, wantOnness or outra-
geous selfishness he attacks and in -
comparatively few years exhausts those
natural resources which, with prudent
management, would be source Of
wealth fnr many generations, If not for
all time. During the destruction lie
seldom listens To words Of warning,
and, worse than all, it is almost impOs-
sible for any one TO secure legislation
which will stay his hand. a notable
example of this is the rapid clearing
away of the forests Of the state From
prosperity To comparative ruin best de-
scribes the progress Of the forestry and
lumber interests OF this great common
wealth. At one time the best wooded
of all the eastern states, it has sunk TO
an Insignificant position in this respect.
Less than 50 per cent OF the original
forest area remains, and u large portion
of the growth is unworthy the name
of timber ; thousands Of acres Of clear
ed or partially cleared land are only fit
for tree growth, bat little systematic
effort is made by the owners to so en-
ploy it. Through these waste areas
fires frequently play, and if something
is not done to check them, when the
day Of replanting comes it will be nee
essary, says Prof. Rothrock very truly,
TO restore soil as well as trees.
While millions Of trees have been cut
down and all their marketable parts
sold they constitute only small num-
Der compared with those which have
been levelled for the bark alone. The
numbers of tree trunks allowed to rot
upon the ground far exceed those which
have been cut into boards or planks.
In certain parts of the state the mount
ain sides for miles together are covered
with bark-stripped, rotting trees,
among which stunted, fire-sc0rched
growth Is struggling under adverse cir
cumstances for existence.
For years a few people have protest
ed against this wanton destruction and
pointed out the inevitable outcome.
Gov. Hastings in his recent message to
the Legislature placed the situation
strongly and plainly before the men,
bers in these words
''This is perhaps, the first generation
in this commonwealth that has been
brought face to face with the dangers
and disasters of a timberless country.
The removal of the marketable tim Der
from our forests, thus cutting off one OF
the great industries of the state, and
the fact that Pennsylvania is no longer
able TO supply her own Inhabitants the
lumber which they require, are Of
themselves discouraging but, when
coupled with the apprehension that
further destruction of the forests will
work perpetual harm to our agricultur-
al interests, the situation becomes
alarming. II is recognized as a fact
that Of the waters which fall upon
cleared areas four-fifths are lost because
they run Immediately out of the cOun-
try, while four-fifths Of the waters
which fall upon our forest areas are
saved thus proving that if the vast
volumes of water which so frequently
deluge the state could be retained long
enough 10 soak into the ground, de-
struclive floods would be prevented
and the consequent loss of property
and life averted. Two floods have Oe-
CARED within the past eight years of
unequaled proportions and destruct-
iveness. Large areas of alluvial soil
once titled have been abandoned along
the Juniata river because the repeated
floods have made il impossible to
maintain fences or mature crops. This
i true also of other portions of the
state. During the past eight years the
valleys of the Juniata and the West
branch of the Susquehanna have lost
more than million dollars in the
bridges which were swept away. The
recurring floods overflowing the banks
of nearly all our rivers and the eonse-
quent loss of property, the personal
danger, apprehension and fear, are
quite enough to excite serious solici-
tude.n
The situation is, indeed, alarming.
If the present wanton destruction is al
lowed to continue there will soon bc no
forests in the state. Ii is time the leg
isliture acted vigorously not only to
protect the trees which are still stand
ing, bat to 50 legislate that all the for
est areas will be increased. As Gov.
Hastings has intimated, there is even
more than the lumber interests at stake;
the very fertility of the soil is involved,
rs well as an equable water supply
Philadelphia Ledger.