Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-09-16
FOREST RESERVATIONS.

Two Important Reasons for Their
Maintenance.
Until quite recently few people have
gwen much thought to the rapid
destruction of our magnificent North
American forests The necessity for
limiting this destruction from the
purely economic standpoint has been
recognized only Within the past ten
years. and since the act OF March 8.
1884,. the president has been given
power to- segregate forest reservations,
from the public lands. Professor J.
w. T0Wmen popular Science Monthly,
June, 1SN1) in discussing the subject of
our forest reservations states that no,
less than thirty-nine national forests
will be established containing
in the aggregate more than
46,800,0O0 acres, an area more than
fifteen tiirnes as large as the, state Of
Connecticut, and about one-fortieth of
the total area of the country exclusive
Of Alaska AS the legislative act pro-
vides that the reservations are to be-
taken from public lands, they are for
the most part in the Rocky Mountain
region and in the Pacific Coast states,
where large areas of public forests and
land are available. Much controversy
has arisen as to the wisdom of with
drawing such large areas from the sale
or other disposition under the laws Of
the land office. This opposition has
come less during the past few years
and public sentiment in favor of forest
reservations is rapidly increasing. In
fact, this change in sentiment has,
been SO rapid that a movement is now
on foot, with prospect of success, to,
establish national forest reservation
in the Southern Appalachian noun
tains, where it will be necessary for
the government to purchase the land
at an expense of several millions of
dollans. A few state reservations have
been established the most splendid
example being the State forests in
Pennsylvania and it is likely that
others viii be set aside in Michigan
during the present year. Unfortun-
ahely, the lumber interests in Northern
Minnesota are likely to prevent the
establishment of a national reserva-
tf0n at the head of the Mississippi
river.
| Professor Tourney considers the i'm
portance of forests more from the
standpoint of their value in producing
lumber than in maintaining the water
supply of the country. However, there
| is another side to the question which
| is quite as important and which should
| not be overlooked. The value of for
! est reservations as great national parks
for recreation and sport is very great.
| In such reservations those so inclined
can get in touch with nature at her
best where the streams abound in
trout, where wild animals are not con-
fined behinL iron bars and where there
are no signs Keep off the grass"
| There a man can reinforce his physi-
cal strength with wholesome mountain
air, pure water, vigorous exercise and
plain food. It is pity that the pres
ent state of development of our coun-
TRY makes such reservations impossible
/ in the vicinity of most of our large
/ cities The park systems are Of great
Importance as breathing places for
poorer people, but most of the real for
ests of considerable size are within
short distance of some of the largest
cities and these are constantly ire
lquented by picnicking parties from the
poorer classes during the summer
season. Even now the reservations of
such areas of land would not be impos-
sible in the neighborhood of some of
our large American cities, and they
would prove a good investment if the
health. comfort and pleasure of the
masses were nsidered-American
! Medicine.
"a man can keep other peonle,s Sc