The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-12-06
Ike Public Forests.

A matter that should enlist an active
interest by reason of its practical i'm
portance and fundamental bearing
upon the prosperity of the country re-
ceives the attention of the Secretary of
the Interior, in his Forthcoming annual
report, under the subdivision of 1.-THE
Public Forests"
There were in June. 1898, thirty
national forest reservations, exclusive
of those in Alaska, embracing an esti-
mated area of 40,719,474 acres. Since
that dale two of these reserves have
been considerably enlarged, one some
what reduced and six additional reser-
valions established, embracing an esti-
mated area of over $4,000, 900 acres.
These lands have been set aside and
reserved from sale or settlement in
order that they may be OF the greatest
use to the people. Large areas are
covered with heavy forests, which may
be proftably cut or culled out under
proper restrictions and some are COW
cred with young, growing forests,
which it is the governments purpose
to guard from fires and depredations
with a view to future timber supplies.
Besides these practical uses of these
forest reservations, their maintenance
has a controlling influence upon the
streams which furnish water for power
and irrigation, and are thus great fac
tors in the prosperity of the regions
through which they flow. The magni-
tude of the latter of these factors is
realized when it is known that some
5000, 900 acres of land may be watered
by the supply from the streams which
have their sources in these forests.
The government is organizing, under
legislation procured for this purpose,
a force of forest police, with super
intendents and supervisors, to guard
these vast tracte, protect them from
spoiatiop, and secure the largest at
tainable measure of realization of the
purpose of the reservations. These
guardians of this forest domain patrol
the regions for the prevention or ex-
tinguishment of fires, and for the dis
covery of the depredations of timber
thieves.
What the national government is do
ing for the preservation of the forest
-, Af Tho hau
for many years seeking to accomplish
within their territorial limits. New
York is making great effort to pre-
serve the virgin forests Of the Adiron-
dack region. They nourish the great
streams that make their way to the
ocean, past great manufacturing towns
and through the limits of the greater
metropolis on the lower Hudson. They
shelter q region whose salubrious
mountain air renders it a rae health
and pleasure resort. As factor in the
economies of the Empire State the Ad-
irondack forests are of the first magni-
tude. The people of the State under
stand this and are beginning in time to
guard this factor from elimination
through the instrumentality of the
needless lumberman or any other agen-
cy whose selfshness is disregardful of
the rights and interests of posterity in
this goodly land of ours.
Vermont has no public forests. The
State owns and has within its direct
control no forest lands. There is no
restraint upon The lumberman or wood
chopper except such as he may himself
impose upon his enterprises. Some
have learned to hus band their forest
possessions; more, and the great major
ity, applying the short sighted and