The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-06
TO Save TIE FORESTS.
Government Commission Urges
the Use Of Troops to Stay
Fires and Depredations.


WASHINGTON, April 6. 1887. The sub
stance of the detailed and voluminous re-
port to be submitted by the Government
Forestry Commission, the body desig-
mated by the National Academy of
Science, is embraced in the following let
ter which has just been submitted by
the Commission tD the Secretary of the
Interior in advance of the. formal report
to be made early in May
THE legislation relating to reserved
forest lands of the public domain which
the Commission of the National Academy
VIII recommend in its final report now
~ n course OF preparation. provides for
!, iFlrst-That authority be. given to the
secretary Of War to make details of
troops at the request of the Secretary of
the interior to protect temporarily and
until a forest service is organized, the
property of the government in the for
esa eS'a reservations t from fire and tresspass
as he may make for their care.
Second-.The establishment of a per-
manent forest bureau in the department
OIL, o. Ihe interior composed of trained Off
prove the reserved forest lands
Third--The appointment of a commits
son SO, 70 institute as, rapidly as possible un-
ger the, supervision of the director of
lne theological Survey, typographical sur
Seys or the reservations and determine
MnaI portions of them should be per-
mnanently reserved on account of their
forest covering and what portions should
oe reopened to entry and sale.
!. 4.Fourth.To authorize the Secretary of
lne interior to issue the necessary rules
ana regulations for the protection
CROWN and Improvement of the forests
on the reservations for the sale of tim
per, nre wood, and fencing from them to
aclual settlers In and adjacent to the
reservation and to owners of mines le-
sally located therein for Use in such
s4-rk ~
owners to enter the reserv lions. for the
purpose OF manufacturing such timber
AZ may be sold to actual settlers in and
adJacent to the reservations and to own
ers OF mines located therein; for allowing
actual settlers who have no timber on
tileir own claims to take from the reser-
ing material necessary for their immedi-
ate personal use; for allowing the public
70. 70 enter and cross the reservations; for
granting to county commissioners right
Of way for irrigating ditches fumes and
pipes and for reservoir sites and for per
lnlLtiIng. nal.Ilg prospectors under such rules and
~ ts,,s u aiaeions 4o1 as ne may from time to
uIne establish to enter the reservation in
search of valuable minerals
Inc Commission will recommend tha+
- efe = reservations be opened to the location
u IiininS claims under the general min
eTal laws and that the owners of valid
mining locations in the reservations made
ana ans held d, IN good faith, shall be permit
ted to fell and remove from their claims
the timber growing on them for acTuai
mlnlng purposes in connection with the
particular claim from which the timber
n,,, - cur. II VIII also recommend that the
owners Of unprotected bona fide claims
OF patents of land included in the forest
reservations be permitted to relinouish
thelr e 4. claims to the government, selecting
m N lieu tracts of vacant land open to set.
tlement, but not exceeding in area the
Tracts ,is 5, covered by their claims or patents;
ana that the owners of such unprotected
claims shall not be subjected to addi-
tlonal tln charges for entries or record. and
time spent on the relinquished claims.
Inc Commission win also recommend
that the Secretary of the Interior be au-
ttforized to enter into negotiations with
the land grant railroad companies for
the purpose of concluding agreements BY
which these companies may relinquish to
the United States the title acquired BY
them to lands within their granted and
indemnity limits when those lands lie
within the boundaries of forest reserva-
t1ons, and may accept other unappropri-
ated lands in exchange from the even
numbered sections within their granted
and indemnity limits not included in for
est reservations.