The Flagstaff sun-democrat., 1897-08-19
FOREST CONSERVATION.
Partial Report of Academy of scien-
 css Commitses.

Partial Report of Academy of ecien-
 css Committes.
 At tho request of Mr. D. M. Rlnr-
 dan, vice prrsident fur ArIsnns of the
 American Forestry Association. ws
 publish the report of the committee
 appointed by the National Academy of Sciences upon the inauguration of . f'rest policy In the. United States. The r~pors is very interesting. U |, touches upon the Grand Canyon res- srva,mn. and deals with the Govern ment conservation of forests In detail. As tho report is quite lengthy. 1t will 5 be published In insiallmrnts la these columns until completed. It should be read by evel one recognizing the importance to the future welfare of the various industries affected by the destruction of our foresis:
 After stating that the report is based on actual examinations If much of the reaervrd and unr~served hreai lands of the public domain and 0n a general study If the topography and climate. and of the cc"n"mic condi- tious of the Wrst4rn States and Terri torres. ihe Committee disrussrs the conservation If forests. using Ih@ rlah- crate statistical study of climatic changes undertaken in Europe by Gustav Wex. based on aR anSl. sis of all available water-gange observations made nn large European rivers during the last two centuries, Such records were collected for tif,y.tiv- stations op twelve rivers.
 Commenting on this data the com- mittee sa,: "Whether a grand eli. n,atic change in Europe he in prngress or not, 1t would seem that the ob- served facts can be more simply ex- plained by the we'll established change in regimen often following the de strucii"n of forests, especially tn mountain regions.
 ..These valuable records confirm the belief generally entertained b, experts. and based on facts observed at many widely different localities. that forests exert most important regulating influence up,n the flow "f rivers. reducing fmnds and increasing the water supply in the low stages. The importance of their c"nserva'io" on the mountainous watersheds which collect lh- stan,y supply for the arid regions If North America can hardly be overs,aied. With the natural re2i- men of lh- streams replaced by de- struc,ive fl,psls in the spring. aud by dry beds in the months when the irri- gatinu flow k most needed. the irriga- tion of wide areas now proposed will be impossible. and regions now sup porting prosperous communities will become d~populated.
 ..But n wel-regnlaied water supply is not the only thing dependent or the preservation 0f forests. In civilized nations ,he demand for lumber and other forest products is contini"ns, and requires s,s,ema,ic and intelligent forest reproduction. Numernus dis tricis in nur country have now no more timber than is needed for early use. and if forest reproductions is not encouraged local timber scarcity in the um distant future seems inevita- ble. The enormnus waste from forest fires, inc+ndiary or accidental, which prevail in nearly every part Of the United States. tie extravagant modes of numbering especially in the West. valuable logs to rot in the brusl, on account of slight defects. and ,he universal neglect of all repro ductive measures threaten tue prOs- prri.y of the country and should re- ceive early attention from the Govern ment."
 The committee next recapitulates forest administration in foreign cs'un- tries. and asserts that 1t is desirable that Congress should appreciate that forest administration is nov regarded a an important Government duty | the civilized world. and tbst It has been wholly neglected by the United States:
 "Frarce Is selected for fullest ex. not only because 1t dates from the Middle Ages. but because t is applicable to an entire country without the confusing special condi- tiOns which in must European states are the result of local provincial sub divisions.
 The French forest administration embraces about 800 men In the sups- ri0r forest service, and forest guards of all grades. number 4l70. so that the grand total of the service is about