The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-19
WORK ON FOREST RESERVES
GOVERNMENT WILL DO MUCH IN
THIS STATE NEXT SUMNER.
All That IL Merchnntnble and Can
BE spared without Injury to Res
ervatfons VIII he Cut-Data VIII
he Gathered garding Forestry.

Iurnbermen of the Western States have
of late taken an unusual interest In the
policy OF the interior department regard
ing the great forest reserves established
during President Cleveland's term. More
particularly have their inquiries been re-
garding the Washington fir and cedar
reserves, and In the correspondence that
has passed between the department and
those Interested much new and valuable
Information is contained.
Lumbermen are now convinced that the
government Is going TO take up forestry
In a practical way. Its work, Ii is said,
will be witnessed in the Mount Rainier
and olympic reserves of this state dur
ing the coming summer II viii be the
policy OF the government: It Is SAID. 70
maintain the standing timber, but to
adopt such measures as will make them
profitable to the community:
To this end the department OF agrfcul-
tura Is having prepared for the depart
ment of the interior working plans of all
the national forestry reserves In the
West.
we'll known iumberman who has just
returned from Washington City, where he
had long talk with department officials
on the subject, in speaking OF the mat
ter yesterday. said:
Last year il you will remember, the
department of the interior had several
men on the Washington reserves gather
ing data regarding the timber This work
will be continued on greater scale this
year. The department has In view not
only the preservation of these reserves,
but places that will result In a revenue
to the communities In which the reserves
are located.
This summers work will consist of de-
termining the present conditions of the
forests on the reserves, just what mer-
charitable timber exists thereon and how
It can be marketed In order TO meet the
requirements of the people without injury
to the productive powers OF the forests
: 1T Is understood that the first work
will he done In South Dakota. as there
the timber supply Is short and that on
the reservations IL badly needed. 1t is
not at all improbable that some of the
South Dakota reservation timber viii be
cut this year. While the department
work In Washington will be done this and
next summer. owing to the great supply
of timber here no cutting will probably
be done for years TO come. The corps Of
forestry engineers will however, make an
estimate OF the standing timbers on
Rainier. and Olympic reserves and will
study the rate of growth.
They will compare the reproduction
with the present depletion with view to
determining the practicabiiity of reforest-
ing logEed-off lands In other parts of the
state, Most of tho work will be done by
college men under the direction of gov
eminent expert.
large amount OF data regarding the rate
of growth and general life history of ex-
listing forests so as 10 foretell the be-
hayior OF future ones under similar con-
ditions Thousands upon thousands OF
trees in this state will have their meas
uremeuts taken to determine their age.
THE department win also establish a
bureau In connection with its work where
information concerning reforesting will be
given to all who may wish 10 apply 1t TO
logged-off lands, In the East more par
ticulariy Will this be OF benefit. as al
ready the great forests there that for
years have been supply base for that
section are nearly gone.
Henry c. Groves, superintendent OF the
working plans, and II. NJ. Griffith. an ex-
pert forester. will have charge of the
work Reside the Black Hills reservation.
South Dakota and Mount Rainier and
Olympic In Washington. work will be be-
gun this summer on the Big Horn rcser-
walton in Wyoming and the Priest river
reservation in Idaho"