The Flagstaff sun-democrat., 1897-09-02
FOREST CONSERVATION.
Partial Report of cademy of scien-
 ces .Committee.
 Continued from last weekly

When It ts remembered that sev. eral million dollars worth of timber are taken every year from the public domain without the Government being able to obtain any payment for 1t. 1t would appear wise and rconnnncal policy to spend annually few ,un- dred thousand dollars on au organiza- ton which would prevent such uanec- essary drains on the wealth of the nation. It must be rememb mbered, also, that an efficient forest administration would be able to prevent many forest fires on the public domain, and that It IS not au unusual occurrence for sim gle fire to destroy material in few days worth more in actual money than this forest administration would cost in years, with the loss to the country in impaired water-dow through forest fires which might be easily prevented is incalcuable.
 The committee recommends that a board of forest lands he appointed. to consist of au officer of the Engineer Corps of the Army, member of the Geological Survey. a member of The Coast Survey. and two persons moi connected with the public service, to determine, with the aid of actual sur veys aud such other examinations as may be found necessary. the bounda- ries of these parts of the public do- main which should be retained perna- nently by the Government as forests.
 The laws now in force under which tho unreserved forest lands of the public domain are disposed of have proved inadequate and demoralizing in practice.
 Inviting fraud and speculation. they have debased the public conscience and deprived the Government of mil- lions of dollars.
 The United States has proved it's in ability to enforce the rules and regu- lations established from time to time. to protect it's interests in it's own tim Der lands.
 This is shown by table compiled from the records in the General Land Office, and covering ihe last eleven years: That the total timber and ium- Der illegally taken from the public domain in that period was 1 l .420. .6D7.- POP feet B. M !; that total of S26,- 233.li5 S2 was sued for. SS7l, 765 9l being recovered ny suiis and S27S.- 406 63 by compromise.
 Ia this table amounts sued for and amounts recovered do not represent the irespass cases reported in the same year, the damages being recovered from cases previously reported.
 The stumpage value of timber tres pass reported hv special agents to the Grnera Land Oilic' during the fiscal years 1886 and 1896. inclusive. was S6. .s36. .900.5l. or an average yearly value of s62l. .5S6.4l.
 Unless, therefore. the Government is prepared to abandon control of the water-supply ot many streams needed for irrigation. and to see the whole of it's unreserved territory west of th. one hundredlh meridian stripped of its valuable timI'er. and agricultural and mining interests crippled, it must contemplate the adoption of some policy like that which. after fair trial, I'as proved successful and proti,- abl. in Canada, and under which all puliic lands in the Western States and Territories more valuable for their forests than for agriculture or the production of minerals can be re- served to protect the flow of rivers and lo produce timber to supply the needs of agriculture and mining and the demands of commerce.
 A scheme for the withdrawal of the forrst lands of the public domain from sa'r. for their survey. and for their administration in such manner that actual settlers, prospectors, aud the owners of mineral claims may obtain