Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-04

| AtfOyS the f1re3t except 10 make way Tor
| agriculture thrca tens our well being.
| The practical usefulness OF the national
/ forest reserves 10 the mining. grazing ,ir-
| riga ion and other interests OF the regions
| In which the reserves lie has led to Il
widespread demand by the people Of the
! west for their protection and extension.
| The forest reserves will inevitably be OF
! still greater nse in the future than in the
| PAST. Additions should he made 10 ttein
whenever practicable and their useful
ness should lie increased by a thoroughly
| business.ike ma anagement.
At present The protection OK the forest
reserves rests with the general land Office.
the mapping and description Of their tim
| Der with the United States geological sur
vey and the preparation or plans for their
conservative use with the burteau OF for
estry. which is also charged with the gen
eral advancement Of practical forestry ia
the United States. These various frnc-
tions should be united in the bureau OF
forestry. To which they properly belong.
The present diffusion Of responsibility is
bad from every standpoint II prevents
! that effective corporation between the
government and the men who utilize the
resources of the reserves without which
the interests OF both must suffer. The
scientific bureaus generally should be put
under the department OF agriculture. The
president should have by law the power
OF transferring lands FOR use as forest re-
serves 10 the department OF agriculture.
He already las such power in the case Of
lands ncedeo by the departments Of war
and the navy.
Irrigation.
The wise administration OF the forest
reserves will be not less helpful to the in
terests which depend on wafer than 70
those which depend wood and grass.
The water supply itself depends upon the
srfI -
land, which measures production. The
western half of the United States would
sustain 4 population greater than that OF
our whole country today If the waters
that now run TO waste were saved and
used for irrigation. The forest and water
problems are perhaps the most vital in
ternal questions Of the United States.
Certain Of the forest reserves should
also be made preserves for the wild forest
creatures All of the reserves should be
better protected from fires. Many of them
need special protection because OF the
great INJURY done by live stock. above all
by sheep. The increase in deer, elk and
other animals In the Yellowstone park
shows what may be expected when other
mountain forests are properly protected
by law and properly guarded Some OF
these areas have been SO denuded OF sur
face vegetation by overerazing that the
ground breeding birds. including grouse
and quail, and many mammals. including
deer, have been exterrninated or driven
away. AT the same time the water stor-
ing capacity Of the surface has been de-
creased or destroyed. thus promoting
Goods in times of rain and diminishing the
flow Of streams between rains.
In cases wsere natural conditions have
been restored FOR q few years vegetation
has gain carpeted the ground birds and
deer are coming back. and hundreds OF
h. 70
neishborhood come each summer to en-
JOY the privilege Of camping. Some at
least OF the forest reserves should aNord
perpetual protection 10 the native fauna
and flora. safe havens OF refuge to our
rapidly diminishing Wild animals OF the
larger kinds ana free camping grounds for
the ever increasing numbers of men and
women who have learned to find rest.
health and recreation in the splendid for
ests and flower clad meadows OF our
mountains. The forest reserves should be
set apart forever for the use and benefit
OF our people whole and not sacrificed
TO the shortsighted greed Of few.
The forests are natural reservoirs BY
restraining the streams in food and re-
plenshing them in drought they make
possible the use OF waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from wash
ing and so protect the storage reservoirs
from filing up with silt Forest conserva-
ton is therefore an essential condition OF
water conservation
Storage Works Necessary.
The forests alone cannot however. fully
regulate and conserve the waters OF the
arid region. Great storage works are nee
essary to equalize the flow OF streams and
TO save the flood waters. Their construc-
ton has been conclusively shown 10 be an
undertaking too vast for private effort
Nor can il be BEST accomplished BY tss in
dividual states acting alone. Farreachins
Interstate problems are involved. and the
resources OF single states would often be
Inadequate 1t is properly a national
function. at least in some OF its features.
It is as right for the national government
to make the streams and rivers Of the
arid region useful by engineering works
for water storage as to make useful the
rivers and harborS OF the humid region br
engineering works OF another kind. This
storing Of the floods in reservoirs at the
headwaters OF our rivers is but an en-
largement OF our present policy OF river
control under which leveeS are built on
the lower reaches Of the same streams
The government should construct and
maintain these reservoirs as it does other
public works. Where their purpose Is 20
regulate the Cow OF streams the water
should be turned freely into the channels
i'll the dry season to take the same courss
under the same laws as the natural flow
The reclamation OF the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different problem
Here It is not enough to regulate the flow
of streams The object of the government
IS to dispose OF the land TO settlers who
will build homes upon it. To accomplish
This object water must be brought within
their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid public
domain chose their homes along streams
from which they could themselves divert
the water TO reclaim their holdings. Such
oppor.unitics are practically gone. There
remain however, vast areas OF public
land which can be made available for
homestead settlement. but only by reser-
voirs and main line canals impracticsbls
for private enterprise. These irrigation
works shouid be built by the national
government The lands reclaimed by
them should he reserved by the govern
ment for actual settlers, and the cost o.
construction should SO far possibI,
be repaid by the land reclaimed. The
distribution or the water. the division OF
the streams among irrigators. should be
left 70 the settlers themselves in conform
fly with state laws and without interter-
ence with those laws or with vested
rights. The policy of the natiOna. GOV
ernment should be to aid irrigation IN the
several states and territories III sucb man
ner rs Will enable the people in the local
communities 10 help themselves and as
vii! stim ulate headed reforms in the state
laws and re2ula tons governing irrigation