The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-09
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AND
FOR ESTRY.

In his recent message President Roosevelt
gave dignifed prominence to the subject of
national forestry and forest preserves.
Other Presidents have alluded to the sub
Ject incidentally, but none has shown the
same interest in or knowledge of the sub
ject. or has treated it as a matter of i'm
portance. President Roosevelt said in
part:
Wise forest protection does not mean the
withdrawal of forest resources, whether or
wood. water. or grass, from contributing
their full share to the welfare of the people,
but, on the contrary, gives the assurance
of larger and more certain supplies. The
fundamental idea of forestry is the per-
petuatiOn of forests by use. Forest protec-
ton is not an end Of itself; ii is a means to
increase and sustain the resources OF our
country and the industries which depend
upon them. The preservation of our forests
is an imperative business necessity. We
have come to see clearly that whatever de-
strOyS the forest, except TO make way Tor
agriculture, threatens our well-being.
The practical usefulness of the national
forest reserves to the mining, grazing, irri-
cation and other interests Of the regions
in which the reserves lie has led TO a wide
spread demand by the people of the West
for their protection and extension. The
forest reserves will inevitably be of still
greater use in the future than in the past.
Additions shOuld be made to them when
ever practicable, and their usefulness
should be increased by a thoroughly bust
nesslike management.
The President presented other aspects of
the case and urged upon Congress the i'm
portance of establishing a national policy
of forestry. He also recommended thai the
President be given by law the power OF
transferring public lands for use as forest
reserves to the Department Of Agriculture.
Referring to the connection between forests
and arid lands he said the forest and water
problems are perhaps the most vital inter
nal questions of the United States.
The President is right in saying that for
est protection does not mean the with
drawal of forest resources from contrib
uting their full share to the welfare of the
people. On the contrary, it means conserv-
ing, increasing and prolonging them. For
estry means not only the preservation of
woodlands, but their cultivation and i'm
prOvement and a conservative use Of their
product It is based on natural laws of
crop production and climatic influences.
Even from a money point of view the care
of forests is found to be greatly profitable.
1t is estimated that an acre of land which
might be made by forestry methods to pro-
duce 1OO,OO0 feet of timber, board measure,
in seventy-fve years, grows under ordinary
conditions only about 1000 feet in 800 years.
1t is estimated that the loss from forest
fires in the United States amounts to over
5000 200 a year. In Europe. where forest
care prevails, forest fires are almost I'M
known.
The subject is not altogether a new one
in this country. The United States has
made a beginning toward an established
system of forestry, and many of the States
have forestry laws. Three of our Presi-
dents in recent years. beginning with Pres
ident Harrison, have by executive procla-
nation created national preserves so tina
the total area Of forests set aside, mainly
for the preservation of watersheds, now
amounts to nearly 100000 acres. The ma
tional parks, which accomplish the same
purpose, embrace nearly 3.5OO.OO acres
more. 1t is said that Western landowners
and ranchmen, who at first were strongly
opposed TO the forest reservation policy,
are now as strongly in favor OF it. All Of
the present national forest preserves are
in Western States or Territories, including
one in Alaska, three in Arizona, nine in
California, five in Colorado, two in Idaho,
three in Montana, two in New Mexico.
three in Oregon. two in Utah. three in
Washington and four in Wyoming. Three
of these reserves contain more than 4,OOO,O 600
acres ach-the Sierra forest reserve in
California, the Bitter Root forest preserve
in Idaho and the Cascade forest preserve in
Oregon. The Yellowstone Park timber re-
serve in Wyoming contains 1899. 900 acres
and the Big Horn forest preserve in the
same State contains 1.1SO.OO0 acres. The
Yellowstone National Park reservation in
Wyoming contains 2.142. 72O acres. There is
little doubt that the national forest re-
serve and parks will be greatly increased
during President Roosevelt's administra-
tion. AS yet they are all in Western States
and Territories. but it is highly probable
that President Roosevelt will favor a reser-
walton in the Appalachian mountain range
80 tho Southern CfataG