Evening journal., 1897-03-11
DEFENDING CLEVELAND
His Action Regarding Forest
Reserves Upheld.
COMMISSIONERS PIsoHor's OPINION

Points ouf the Beneufs % setting Aside /
Land, for Public Forests-say. the Com
nn.ion Doe. Not Desire 10 Ee.srlc, the
Natural Resources of the Territory
NFw YosK. March n. The aston si
sx- President Cleveland tn Creating l3 new
forest reserves. with total area 3f more
than 2i. 900 O0o acres has been severed,
criticised. especially the wcs, shortly
alter the proclamation was made me sen
ate passed an amendment 20 the sundry
civil bill aboishins the reserves. but "
was defeated ia the house oi representa-
tives since then the western papers havs
continued 90 resent tho action oi the OK
president
The following statement in answer tC
questions about these vigorous protest.,
against the recently created forest reserves
was made By Clifford pinchot. a member
OF the commission which recommended
the reserves and It's secretary:
" Tho attack on the forest reserves declar
ed by cx- President Cleveland on Washing
tons birthday Is founded on a misunder
standing There is fundamental misoon
ception Of the objects OF the reserves ano
the reasons why the forest commission Of
the National Academy of Sciencos recon
mcndcd their establishments The mem
bers OF this commission understand as fully
as any one can that forest reserves perma
nently withdrawn from use wOuld be
wholly unworthy OF being maintained
Tho only reason tor resorving any area
must be that 10 will be more useful 70 the
people as q reserve than as part OF the pub
lie domain. Withithat idea clearly IN mind,
we have been considering. for several
months past the question of making all
the reserves, both these last and the Il.
600, 600 acres hitherto proclaimed. contrib.
ute TO the utmost to tha welfare OF the
regions In which they lie. and work on o
bill for submission TO congress to open Uht
reserves to use. while providing the neces
sary means for the preservation of the
forest, is far on toward completion "
The Cotnmission's Statement
An Official statcmont OF its position was
recently made by the commission Co a con
ference committee OF the house and senate
which was considering the mntter of the
newly proclaimed reserves OmittinR
those parts which refer TO specific amend
nents TO thu sundry civil bill In which
the provision to abolish the reserves wa.
inserted by the senate. this statement ~
as follows;
1T has never been the desire OF the com
nilsson 10 restrict the natural Development
of any resources contained in the reserves.
hut. on the contrary. to recommend the
widest use Of all their resources. mines a.
we'll as all others compatible with the
preservation Of the forests upon them
The commission made its recommen
dations after thorough study of the data
available in the geological survey. the
general land Office and the department OF
agriculture. supplemented by sufficient
Investigation on tho ground. continued
through several months. There has beer
nothing in the nature of hasty Judgment
but the decisions reached have in every
case resulted from careful and adequntf
study OF the questions involved. and th,
commission desires 20 reiterate them here
10 must not be understood that no land
has been included in these reserves whici
should eventually he devoted to other uses
From the necessities Of the case such teip
porarv inclusion was unavoidable. ana u
was AMI Is % part of thc policy Of th, com
mission to recommend the recession OF Hl
such lands IN an the reservations as soou
rs surveys con p made ana 10 can hr as
curatcly known whsre such lands lio.
There is at present no legal practicable
means 10y which small settlers may obtain
from, the public lands the timber which
thcy need. Large corporations, oD the con
trary through the permit system and 9th
erwise. have excellent facilities. The in
tention of the commission is to recommend
such legislation as will remedy this evil
1T will not be denied that great gooC
will result TO the western states as wei
as 10 the nation at large from the pre-
servation Of the western forests. The ohie
danger to them Is from fire. not from tn,
AK Fire can be controlled by the govern
mont. and by It alone Il follows that gov
Al
forests is indispensable
Not 20 Remain Undev@IoP~d.
The intention " the commission Is q
prepare and recommend plan by whicl
the whole value of tho reserves may b
nsed for the good ~ the people aud b,
which none ~ their resources will remaii
undevelopcd We have no desire 20 proiec
these forests against use. hut against de
strusnnn It must not he forgotten ths
the iudicious cutting of the timber is ~
senfial 10 right forest management aul
thar rive hest of ali ways 20 insure the pro
trction sud prsssrvation of forest is b
use
During the discussion IN congress ~ wa
repeatedly said that the commission ha
acted from f,r rnRnger kuowledgp of th
new reserve. want to say that five mem
hers of the commission spent FROM thru
c. four months in the field. and an OF tha
time that was not required io move froi
place 20 pllrc or 90 consnit with scientn
ar mountain men was spent ia the wood
an the arens SINE reserved Long friu
with pack trains --hne ~ 25 days -wer
made and two on foot with the resul
thnt Of the 3 reserves recommended 81
hut , are personally known 10 memhers q
the commission OF these two. ono wa
laid down by the state engineer of On
sfnta whore 10 lies. and IN the ofhor tn
chnrar'er of the forest was we'll know
from the study 81 adjacent areas. aud IN
region itsclf had been thoroughly and r,
t,eatedly described TO us by the men bci
Bhls tn do so
Msricans In sympathy with Cuba
Crrv or nfuxrco March Il - p,ruta