Arizona republican., 1899-05-02
THE FOREST RESERVES.
It is Likely That the Sheep Will Not
 Be Excluded.

w. H. Buntain, superintendent of
 forest reserves for New Mexico and
 Arizona, now stationed at Santa Fe,
 arrived Monday The next day. ac-
 companied by w. H. Thayer, forest
 ranger, he went to Show Low to in-
 spect and report upon the condition
 of the reserve. MT Buntain is an en-
 ergetic, shrewd and practical man and
 immediately grasped the situation
 here. He realizes that this is prs-emi-
 nently grazing country, and as the
 cattle are moving out. sheep raising
 will in future be the main industry Of
 this section, and if the grazing is pro-
 hibited it will result in absoluts ruin
 to this country, and hopeless bank
 ruptcy to northern Arizona. He real
 fze5 further that the sheep and cattle
 by keeping down the rank growth of
 grass in the timber and framping the
 combustible pine burrs into the
 ground, preventing a large deposit of
 dry grasses and weeds from forming
 in the forest is the only real proven tiCn against forest fires. Thetrees being scattered, the fire will be unable to spread for want of an intervening ali ment This fact has been thoroughly demonstrated during the last fifteen years. Sinca sheep have been grazing in the forest destructive forest fires
 have seldom occurred and a rank growth of underbrush has appeared in many places in consequence therscf, and the value of the forest greatly en- hanced. The forest is on that account in far better condition than it was 1if- teen years ago It is further charged that the sheep herderS start the forest fires and by their expulsion the forest fires will cease. Upon this proposi- tion as well as preceding ones we wei come the investigation of the forest superintendent and his rangers, an i 1t will be found that in four cases out of five the forest fires are started by In dians who in doing so have d threefold object in view: First, they believe that the smoke ascending in the Eeav- ems forms clouds and produces rain; secondly, ground is thereby cleared on which to plant corn; thirdly, the fire scares up game. It is true that fires are set out by white men, sometimes carelessnes5 and at other times Through pure cussedness, but this would occur just the same if there was not sing1e sheep on the whole reserve, or within one hundred miles thereof. We are glad, on this account. to welcome the forest ranger, who will no doubt bring some of these fire fienGs before the tribunals of justice, and put a stop to this species cf incendiarism, placing the onus upon the proper partils.
 Superintendent Buntain assured our citizens that the order directing the sheepmen to move their fiocks off the reserve would ba promptly rescinded, and upon presentation to the depart ment of the true facts in the case, permits would be issued to sheepmen to run thsir sheep on the reserve un- der proper restrictions, and that the !. policy of the government was not tu 1 destroy the industries of any section, but to protect and encourage them. | This assurance on, the part of Mir Bun 1 tain is highly gratifying to every one, | and the temporary check experienced | in business during the last six months, | owing to the uncertain future of the | sheep industry, has been dispelled, and | from now on renewed activity will be | witnessed in all lines of buSineSs.- l HClbrook Argus.