The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-03


certain supplies The fundamental idea
OF forestry is the perpetuation of forests
by use Forest protection Is not an end
OF itself; IL is means 10 increase and
sustain the resources of our country and
the industries which depend upon them.
The preservation OF our forests is an i'm
petative business necessity We have
come To clearly that whatever de-
stroys the forest, except to make way for
agriculture. threatens our well-being.
The practical usefulness OF the national
forest reserves To the mining. grazing.
irriea ton and other interests OF the re-
gions In which the reserves lie has led
10 a widespread demand by the people
of the west for their protection aud ex-
tension. The forest reserves Will inevi-
tsbly be OF still greater use In the future
than in the past. Additions should be
made 10 them whenever practicable, and
their usefulness should be increased by
a thoroughly buslncss-like management.
FOREST PROTECTION.
Al present the protection otsthe forest
reserves rests with the General Land
Office the mapping and description OF
their timber with the United States geo
logical survey, and the preparation OF
plans for their conservative use with the
bureau OF forestry which Is also charged
with the general Advancement of prac-
tical forestry I'm the United states. These
various functions should be united in the
bureau of forestry, 70 which they prop
erly belong The present diffusion OF
responsibility is bad from every stand-
point. " prevents that effective coopera-
tion between the government and the
men who utilize the resources OF the re
serves. without which the interests of
both must suffer. The scientific bureaus
generally should be put under the depart
49,
should have by law the power OF trans
ferrinG lands for use as forest reserves
20 the department OF agriculture, lie
already has such power In the case OF
lands needed by the departments Of war
and the navy.
The wise admlnistra tion ~ tho forest
reserves will be not less helpful 10 the
Interests which depend on water than 20
those which depend on wood and grass.
The water supply Itself depends upon the
forest In the arid region u Is water,
not land, which measures production The
western half of the United States would
sustain population greater than that
Of our whole country today N the waters
that now run TO waste were saved and
used for irrigation. The forest and wa
ter problems are perhaps the most vital
internal questions OF the United states.
Certain OF the forest reserves should
also he made preserves for the wild forest
creatures All Of the reserves should he
better protected from fires. Many of
them need special protection because or
tho great injury done by live stock. above
all by sheen. The increase In deer. elk
and other animals I'm the Yellowstone
park shows what may he expected when
other mountain forests are properly pro-
tected by law and Coperly guarded. some
OF these areas have been denuded of
surface vegetation by oNergrazing that
the ground breeding birds including
grouse and puail, and many mammals in
Cmdng deer. have been eXtermina ted or
driven away. At the same time the
wTter-Storing capacity of the surface has
been decreased or destroyed. thus pro-
noting foods in times OF rain and dmin-
ishine the flow OF streams between rains
In cases where natural conditions have
been restored for a few years vegetation
has again carpeted the ground birds and
deer are coming back, and hundreds OF
persons, especially from the immediate
ncighborhood. come each summer 10 en-
JOY the privilege of camping. Some az
least OF the forest reserves should afford
perpetual protection 10 the native fauna
and fora safe haYens of refuge 10 our
rapidly diminishing wild animals OF the
larger kinds, and free camping grounds
for the eyer-increasing numbers OF men
and women. who have learned To fnd
rest, health and recreation I'm the splen-
did forests and iower-clad meadows OF
our mountains. The forest reserves
should be set apart forever Tor me use
and benefit OF our people as a whole and
not sacrificed 40 the shortsighted greed
OF few.
NATURAL RESERVOIRS.
The forests are natural reservoirs: BY
restraining Llhc-s streams I'm flood and re-
rlenishine them In drought they make
possible the use OF waters otherwise
wasted. Ther prevent the soil from wash
ing, and so protect the storage reservoirs
from filling up with silt. Forest conser-
walton is therefore an essential condition
OF water conservation.
The forests alone cannot. however. fully
regulate and conserve the waters of the
arid region. Great storage works are
necessary To equalize the flow OF streams
a I'd 10 save tho food waters. Their con-
| frti Ian shown
be an undertaking too vast for private
effort. Nor can II he best accomplished
nv the individual states acting alone.
Far-reachine interstate problems are in
Nolved. and the resources OF single states
would often be inadequate. II is prop
erly national function. AT least I'm some
tional government 90 make the streams
and rivers OF tho arid region useful by
engineering works for water storage as
10 make useful the rivers and hsrbors
OF the humid region by engineering works
Of another kind. The storing OF the
| floods I'm reservoirs at tho headwaters or
our rivers is but an enlargement of our
present policy sf river control. under
which levees are built on the lower reach
es OF the same streams.
The government should construct and
maintain these reservoirs as II docs other
public works Where their purpose is To
regulate Tht Tow OF streams, the waNr
should he turned freely into the chan
nels I'm the dry season Ia take the same
course under the same laws as the natu-
| TAI now
The-Encla ma ton Of the unsettled arid
public lands presents q different problem.
Here Il is not enough TO regulate the
flow OF streams. The object or the gov
eminent Is TO dispose of the land 10 set
tiers who viii build homes upon IL. To
accomplish this object water must be
brought within their reach
WORK FOR GOVERNMENT.
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
opportunities are practically gone. There
remain. however. vast areas Of pubEc
land which can he made available for
homestead settlement. but only by rcser-
voirs and mainline canals impracticable
for private enterprise.
These irrigation works should he built
by the national government. The lands
reclaimed by them should be reserved 10y
tho government for actual settlers and
the cost az construction should so far as
possible be repaid by the land reclaimed
| The distribution Of the water. the diVi-
sion OF the streams among irrigators.
should he left To the settlers themselves
I'm conformity with state laws and with
out interference with those laws or with
vested rights. The policy OF the national
| government should be 60 aid irrigation
in the several states aud territories in