New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-03
OUR FOREST DOMAIN.
HOW THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES WOULD ADMINISTER 1T.

E sHc Esf uPoN THE INHUGHKXTIoMr OF 4
FOREST Po rIfS Unified ME p STATES to to the
secretary OF the Interior. May l. 1891 WASH
ington: Government Printing Ofice
II was in February. 1896. that the Hon. Hoke
Smith then Secretary Of the Interior wrote 10
professor Wolcott Gibbs president of the Nationai
Academy of Sciences. requesting that BODY 10 IN
vestirate and report upon the inauguration OF
National policy for the forested lands OF the unteo
States Under the act Incorporating the Acaoem!'
and In accordance with its constitution TINS is 'e
official body to whom scientific problems when al
feet the general welfare of the country are re-
fcrred by the various departments of the Federai
Government. In his letter Mr.. Smith stated 'ha'
his predecessors in Office had for score OF years
yanly called attention to the inadequacE anu Gun
fusion OF the Timber Land laws and the lack VI
an intelligent policy for administering them ana
he added that this evil growing worse. so that
there was urgent need for a radical chanse III INC
MANAGEMENT Of the forests on the puohc DOMAIN
The pamphlet under review is the report OF 'he
committee appointed by DR.. Gibbs and transmitted
by him to Secretary Bliss. 1t is signed by mares
g Sargent Henry L. Abbot. A. Agassiz, william
H. Brewer Arnold Hague. Clifford Pinchot ana
Wolcott Gibbs-names which are In themselves "
guarantee that the report Will carry such "eis",
az comes from the conscientious work OF ua'e"
investigators in the field of scientific and economic
inquiry.
The INTERPOLATION between forests and rainfall Is
so complicated. and the meteorological records SO
scanty and brief that this report advances io
plausible theories 10 the influence OF WOODLANDS
upon climate the precipitation OF moisture bu.
the arguments TO show that forests are OF vital
,unor,once as regulating forces in the flow OF
rivers by reducing freshets and increasing the
water supply in time of drought. are set ior.h III
convincing array. This IS the point for Americans
10 consider because. in the first place we nave
regions where agriculture is impossible without
irrigation and the destruction Of the WOODS on
W
incubation Of many portions of our arid regions
which now support prosperous communities in'S
destruction also means the ruin or man! narIo"
and fertile valleys OF the West and the extinction
OF local water-supply in many places not 10 speak
Of the waste Of forest products which are a con-
slant and increasing need of civilized man.
After an instructive review Of forest administra-
ton in foreign countries, II is shown that 'he pc
culiar typographical and climatic conditohs oi
Western North America make the preservation OF
its forests essential to the profitable and perma-
nent occupation of that country. And yet after
an examination by the committee Of the forest
reservations established prior to February ~ le'
together with the reserves OF more than twenty
million acres set aside by President Clevelands
proclamation of that date and after having studied
the forest conditions in many of the unreserved
regions still belonging to the Government the
committee asserts that: Beyond the limits of the
National parks which are effectively and economi-
cally patroed by detachments OF the United states
Army, your committee was unable 10 discover any
evidence that serious attempts are made by the
Government to protect the forests of the pubic
domain from Illegal Underwriting and pasturlng.
or to prevent the starting or check the spread OF
forest fires except In the north end OF me Cascaoe
Reserve. In oregon. where in August IL 1ouhu
single agent OF the Interior Department actively
ard successfully engaged in scattering several large
Nocks of sheep that had been devastating this
reservation for several weeks.
1t is well known how destructive fires are IN
these Western woods composed almost exclusively
Of highly infammahe resinous trees, especially IN
the hot and dry summer. But no one can read this
report without having his impressions OF the de-
vastating character of these CONGREGATIONS deep
ened or without being more profoundly convinced
of the necessity of adopting some hopeful plan 10
avert these enormous annual losses That the
Yellowstone National Park has not been burned
over since detachments Of the United states Army
began TO patrol 1t is a significant proof Of what
can be accomplished by intelligence and discipline.
OF the same serious character the devastation
BY fire are tho losses caused by nomad:c sfcep-
herders who fire the woods as part Of their hus-
bandry. These great bands o. sheep not only de-
srov every blade of grass the high valleys Of The
mountains but they devour shrubs and seeding
trees, hasten the melting Of the spring SHOWS ana
tread out gullies 10 facilitate floods. The actudl
loss from these depredations covering leagues or
burned timber and ruined pasture lands. are De-
yond belief and yet this is insignificant as com
nared with the ruinous effects upon the future of
the mountain forests and upon the agricultural
possibilities of the valleys below them. The value
of the wool product is insignificant compared with
the loss which this illegal herding inficts upon the
country but these devastating animals have been
50 long permitted TO feed upon the National do
main that the men who profit by them have come
TO believe that they have acquired vested rights In
the public forests. In this case. too, 1t has been
demonstrated that the trespass can be checked
for IL the National parks Of California few SOL
nal tha har1 no
demonstrated efficiency of few soldiers In arrest
ing fires and clearing the woods of browsing ami
mails and the additional object lesson furnished by
the Canadian forest ranges in the same direction
certainly justify the recommendation In this report
embodied In one Of the bills found in its appendix
This simply provides for temporary protection or
the forestry reservations and National parks until
a duly authorized and organized forest bureau has
been established. Under this bill the Secretary OF
War; whenever the Secretary of the Interior shall
make the request is directed to detail troops 10
protect the forests, the timber, the underground
and the natural curiosities in the forest reserves
and in the National parks. 1t Is difficult to under
stand how any objection be offered TO this
simple plan which promises to accomplish so much
until more elaborate machinery is available
The visible marks OF depreciation upon the forest
reserves visited by the committee simply de-
plorable We read with Indignation of the practice
OF tourists who camp below the line Of eternal snow
on Mount Rainier and fire a fir tree. centuries OLD,
iust TO see its life go out in sudden 'iasn or
fame This wanton destruction has backened the
foreground of one Of the most impressive stretches
OF mountain scenery in the United States But
when we read what follows. Of unchecked fires,
the free ranging of the 'hoofed locusts which are
the forests deadliest enemies; the utter disregard
Of public rights on the part OF miners ana pros
pectors. who unite TO exterminate the forests
where they are most needed. only wonder that
Congress has paid little heed to the rights OF
the people of the whole country. and allowed the
Inheritance of the Nation 10 be ravaged by few
lawless wanderers. who are not content with TAX
ing all that can be OF TO them, and seem to