Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1900-06-26
The Forest Reserves.

WASHINGTON, June 25.-In spite of
the intense clamor for new and enlarged
forest reservations in many of the West
ern states, the Interior department will
hereafter act very cautiously in these mat
tiers, and take no steps until the merits
of the case in question have been fully
determined. Already there are on file in
the department hundreds of large petit
tons and requests for such changes in the
forest reserves, and in number of IN
stances these engagements have been
recommended by the forest superinten-
dents of the different states. For more
than year past the general land Office
and the secretary of the interior have
been bothered over this matter, uutil it
was finally concluded that there mnst be
some incentive for the general demand for
more forest reserves. Commissioner Her
mann took an active interest in the mat
ter, and as the head of the land office,
made number of inquiries to satisfy
himself on this point. His inquiries
have treasured him that it is necessary TO
act with great caution in such matters.
He says that when parties come to him
recommending new reserve. or the en-
largement ofan existing reservation, they
unalterably represent that the govern
ment should take some action that will
tend to preserve the natural growth of
trees. They generally have peculiar
desire to have the natural scenic beauties
preserved, and shut off from the public,
so that they cannot be injured or destroy
ed. According to their representations,
the lands that are intended to be en-
braced within reserves. are always
heavily covered with trees, and are essen
tial in maintaining the growth in their
particular locality, and SO plausible are
the stories, that one would be inclined to
believe there was crying need for more
reservations.
But when these representations were
made on every hand, Commissioner Her
mann thought it might be we'll to ascer-
tain further facts, and when an agent
comes to him with such representations,
no asks what direct interest he or his
people may have in the proposed reserve,
beyond their desire to see the forests pre-
served. And, said he, commenting
upon the matter, ''in nearly every in
stance find that this agent or his people
have large holdings of land within the
proposed enlargement. In that event,
ask if they are deeply enough interested
to donate the lands to the government
They invariably draw up haughtily, and
say they have no such intention. We'll
what do you propose to do with that land
them l ask, and they beat about ths
bush for some time, and are finally forced
to admit that they will relinquish theil
title and make lieu selection. They
know full we'll that if their lands arr
once embraced in forest reservation
they can then select corresponding tract
from the unsurveycd lands, some of then
the richest of the remaining public lands
and in many cases they will realize 100
per cent on their deal. Why, at times,
have had the special agents examine tn
lands that they propose to relinquish
and it has been found that they hav
denuded it of all valuable timber. The.
represent it to be rich timber LAM
yet, and wish to select land that is wort
IS to $Io an acre, when their relinquishe'
lands would not be worth 80 cents a
acre. So you will readily see the neces
sity for caution in creating new reserve
or enlarging old ones, and it II prett
safe to say that little along those line
will be done in some time to come
H In matters relating to forest reserves
there has been great difference of opii
ion between the Secretary Of the Interie
and Commissioner Hermann. In II
first place, Secretary Hitchcock is not :
familiar with the forestry questions |
he might be. 1t was Secretary Hitcl
cock who last year took such strenuo,
steps 10 throw all sheep Off the fore
reservations. Over that question he ar
/ | the Land Commissioner clashed, aud Il
: Commissioner was backed by the Sen
I Itors and Representatives from the we
generally. Commissioner Hermann stoS