The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-11
TO PRESERVE
CALIFORNIA;
FOREST LANDS
u. S. Receiver Carter
Gives His Views.
FOREST RESERVATION NEEDED
THE NORTHERN PART OF THE
STATE WANTS PROTECTION.
A Proper Fire Patrol Should Be
Established and, Steps Taken
to Check Waste Of
Lumber.
FOREST RESERVATION NEEDED
THE NORTHERN PART OF THE
STATE WANTS PROTECTION.

The efforts of The Call to secure legis-
lation for the better preservation of our
forest areas have met with full apprecia-
ton in Shasta County. Lloyd L. Carter,
the United States Receiver for the Shasta
Land District, who is now enjoying hol-
iday in this city, states that the residents
of Shasta and Redding highly approve of
the protest entered by Call against the
poisoning of the country roundabout by
the fumes from the keswiok shelters.
Certain business people in Keswick and
Redding do not like to admit the truth,
because it might be prejudicial to their
commercial interests. But the majority
of the residents, and especially the fruit
growers and ranchers, would welcome a
law compelling the Mountain Mining
Company to consume its sulphurous
fumes, which at present are devastating
the whole countryside.
my land district said Mr.. Carter,
covers the whole of Shasta County, as
we'll as portions of Siskiyou, Trinity, Mo-
doe, Lassen and Tehama. 1t includes most
of the pine belt around Mount Shasta,
where there are vast areas covered with
magnificent sugar and yellow pines. ct
If forest destruction goes on at the pres
in less than forty years. With modern APP
planes and the milling machinery now
In use the lumber is cleared off at terri.
fic rate. Besides, there is a great amount
of waste. Only. the best is taken and the
worst is left behind. l met lumberman
from the East the other day, and he was
are being taken UP. II, the Eastern States
they use every particle Of wood for one
purpose or another. Here they only take
and leave the rest to rot on the ground"
Mr.. Carter thinks that much good
might be accomplished If the Federal and
common ground of action. THE establish
ment of an efficient fire PATROL he re-
marks, would in itself do a great deal
Tense to start forest fire. but owing to
the lack of supervision, convictions can
not be secured. Then the State might es-
tablish nurseries on some OF the VACANT hd
made with all kinds of exotic trees to as
certain which were most suitable for prop
agation In this climate. Also steps could
be taken to check waste, and to prevent
the destruction of trees under a certain
size. Land which has already been dew
Of timber most suitable to the locality,
and where the young pines are coming up
naturally they should be thinned out SO
to re an syen crop OF timber
only to preserve the rivers of the State.
Owing to the telling of the timber and the
frequent bush fires much of the rainfall
many springs in Shasta County which
have dried up from this cause. There
should be forest reservations all over the
State instead of merely In one portion of
It,"
1t is a singular fact that although the
Federal Government has reserved large
areas of land in the southern portion of
the State for. forest purposes, not a sin
gle acre has been protected north Of San
Francisco. j. M. Gleaves, the United
States Surveyor General in this city, fur
nishes the following list of Federal tim
Der reservations in California. all of
which. 1t will be noted. are south of San
Francisco, San Gabriel, 573,04S acres:
Sierra Forest, 4079,360 acres; San Bernar-
dino, 731 ,176 acres. Arabuco Canyon, 49,
76O acres: San Jacinto, 684 ,67s acres; STAN
islaus. 705, $40 acres: Pine Mountain, 1.7S5.-
oos3 acres The total area thus reserved
Is no less than S53S. AS acres.
What we want" insists Mr.. Carter us
to get some Of the rich timber lands in
my district reserved. We have to deal
with an area of over 1900 900 acres, and
there is plenty of room for forest res
ervation, That is II steps. are. taken in
ervation proclaimed in Lassen County,
and also one In Siskiyou"