The record-union., 1898-01-24
THE PROPOSED FOREST RESER-
WALTON

VATION.
B. E. Allen, who signs himself "Spe-
cial Forest Agent and Supervisor, has
given notice that by virtue of the au-
thority vested in him by the Commits
sioner ot the General Land Office ne
has made personal examination of the
public lands and drainage basins in the
vicinity of Lake Tahoe. and under the
provisions of the Act of Congress ap-
proved March 3, 1891, entitled "An Act
10 repeal timber culture laws and fol
other purposes he proposes a reserva-
tion Of about 650,o00 acres in Placer and
FL Dorado Counties, embracing all The
southeasterly portion Of Lake Tahoe
The reservation commences at township
north, running as far as IL north, and
extending eastward to all ranges OF
townships is, II and Is east.
Within the limits of this proposed
forest reservation there are 6S.450 acres
of lands granted to the Central Pacific
Railroad Company, of which there have
been sold 1S,4T0 acres, leaving practi-
cally $4,000 acres of granted land un-
sold. The sold land was purchased for
the purpose of manufacturing lumber,
and the fact that the railroad compa-
ny has sold 1910 acres is a plain in
dication that the intervening, alternate,
eyen-numbered sections were equally
valuable with that sold. Thus there
must have been sold in the region
about 81 600 acres. Some of these sales
We're made twenty-six years ago, and
the process Of denuding them of their
timber has been going on ever since
From this we derive the statement that
there have been at least 81 600 acres of
land sold, having their chief value in
the timber growing thereon, and from
which timber has been taken for a
quarter Of a century.
BY an Act of Congress, passed June
1897, any owner of private land within
a forest reservation may surrender by
deed TO the Government, thus extend
ing the reserved condition intended by
the Government over such private
lands. and receive in lieu certificates
1ocatable in any part Of the public do
main for an equal number of acres to
that relinquished.
In the instance under consideration
then the creation Of a forest reserva-
Tion would enable persons holding about
5000 acres to receive lieu certiti-
Gates for that amount, and would en-
able the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany to receive lieu certificates in the
amount Of $4,000 acres, locatable any
where within the public domain.
These facts relate solely to the con-
dition Of lands within the limits of the
grant TO the Central Pacific Railroa
Company. An examination of the tract
books Of the United States Land Office
alone would disclose the amount of 9TH
er lands outside of the railroad limits
to which private right of ownership
may have attached It is quite reason
able TO assume that 10000 acres. in
GLIDING the lands herelnbefore men
toned, have passed from the Govern
Inent to private hands.
The confirmation of the forest reser-
walton made by Mr.. Allen viii entitIe
the holders of private lands within that
reservation to certificates loeatabie
anywhere within the public domain N
the amount Of 100000 acres, and this
after they have once denuded fiae land,
OF the timber. stripped them of their
value and left them worthless for any
other purpose than a forest reservation.
The question arises: Is this desirable
In the instance under consideration. il
may be that the benefit accruing to the
private owners of land within the pro-
posed reservation may. not be an OBJ
stacle in the minds Of many to the con
firmation of the reservation itself. bu.
the policy of the law is vulnerable and
open to effective attack.
Just as soon as 1t is demonstrated
that lands once denuded of their tim
Der may be relinquished through the
device Of a forest reservation and az
equal number Of acres of virgin ttmoer
taken in other portions Of the puD!ie
domain. a pressure for the creation ci
reservations will arise in every dsreD-