Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-01-28
APPALACHIAN FOREST RESERVE
New York SUM-

A national forest reserve in the Ap- |
palachian belt can he established only
by the purchase Of land, for there is
no public domain In that region. The
bill now before congress directs the
secretary OF agriculture to purchase
not more than 100000 acres of for
est In the southern appalachians and
appropriates $5.0O0,000 for that >pur-
pose. The lands must be situated
within the states of Virginia, North
and South Carolina, Georgia. Alaba-
ma and Tennessee. The purpose of
establishing the proposed reserve is
to introduce scientific forestry meth
ods. conserve the forests and at the
same time permit numbering In this
large area Of hard woods.
No one now doubts that 1t was wise
policy to set apart the forest reserves
which have been established since
1896 In eleven of our western states
and territories. The idea was at first
strongly opposed on the ground that
the withdrawal of so much public
land from purchase would retard the
development of the states concerned
and delay the discovery OF new sour
ces of mineral wealth. These misgiv-
| ings, however, were not justified by
our policy with regard to the reserves.
| The geological survey has been en-
gagged. since the summer of 1897. in
studying the timber, mineral and ag-
| ricultural resources OF these regions.
| All of them may be developed as fast
as capital and labor seek employment
there. In some of the reserves, as in
the Black Hills, for example. large
Industries have long been established.
But these large areas can no longer
| be stripped OF all their timber with
cut a thought of tree replanting. The
propagation OF timber must hereaf-
| ter go hand in hand with its utili-
zation: and destruction by forest
| fires. that have swept large areas,
| viii at least be diminished by prop
er regulations.
But in our forest reserves the hard
woods that have so prominent place
in our lumber industry and agricultu-
raj implement, furniture and cabinet
manufactures are scarcely represent
ed. The cedar, tamarack canon live
| oak. and tanbark oak. are the only
hard woods of commercial Importance
found on the reserves. Our walnut.
maple, ash. locust. hickory. cherry
and beech timber are as yet derived
almost wholly from the central states
mainly east Of the Mississippi.
Timber planting has not kept pace
with timber cutting and the supply Is
diminishing. Furniture makers al
ready complain of the scarcity OF
black walnut.
The only other source of these hard
| woods is the Appalachian belt from
the southern part of New York to
Alabama They grow in largest num-
hers on the slopes of the southern
half of these mountain ranges. On
the neighboring lowlands spread
away the forests of long leaf, short
leaf and loblolly pines. which make
the great lumber industry OF our
f.! South Atlantic states. The nara
| woods above them has as yet scarce
| Iy been touched, but with the dimin-
ishing supply Of hard woods on the
| central plain from the mississippi
| eastward, lumbermen are beginning
| to look to the mountains.
The question is whether this large
source OF supply shall also be depict
| ed or whether by the methods OF sci
entific forestry. the timber shall be
renewed so that later generations as
well as ourselves may have the bene-
fit of 1t. These forests can be pro-
teoted only by government regulation;
and II the states do not take steps to
conserve these large sources OF wealth
the question whether the national
government should not acquire the
right to do so. at time when it is
asserted 1t may be cheaply acquired,
is certainly worthy of serious con
sideration.