The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-04-30

sition.
One of the most important measures
for the common welfare now before
Congress is that favorably reported
from the House Committee on Public
Lands, transferring certain national
forest reserves from the Interior De-
partment to the Department of Agri-
culture, where they can be properly
cared for, and to establish game and
fish protection in those reserves. The
president, in his last message called at
tention to the propriety of making
some Ravens of refuge for the surviv-
ing wild birds, game and flsh WITHIN
these preserves. He said:
Certain of the forest reserves should
also be made preserves for the wild for
est 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 surface vege-
tation by overgrazing that the ground
breeding birds, including grouse and
+ quail, and many mammals, including
deer. have been eXterminated or driven
away. At the same time the water stor-
ing capacity of the surface has been de-
creased or destroyed, thus promoting
floods in times of rain and diminishing
the flow of streams between rains.
In cases where natural conditions
have been restored for q few years veg
citation has again carpeted the ground
birds and deer are coming back, and
hundreds of persons especially from
the immediate neighborhood, come each
summer to enjoy the privilege of camp
ing. Some at least of the forest reserves
should afford perpetual protection to
the native fauna and flora, safe Ravens
+ of refuge to our rapidly diminishing
wild animals of the larger kinds and
free camping grounds for the ever in
creasing numbers of men and women
9Who have learned to find rest, health
and recreation in the splendid forests
and flower clad meadows of our noun
tains. The forest reserves should be
set apart for the use and benefit of our
people as a whole, and not sacrifice to
the shortsighted greed of a few The
forests are natural reservoirs. BY re-
straining the streams in flood and re-
plenishing in drouth they make possible
the use Of waters otherwise wasted.
They prevent the soil from washing,
and SO protect the storage reservoirs
.;1+
serva ton is therefore an essential con-
dition of water conservation.
The committee in It's report urges
that the Interior Department, which
has control of the public domain, with
the view to it's disposition and sale I'M
der the Land laws, has no organization
for the preservation of it's timber or
-ether products while the bureaus of the
department of Agriculture are already
equipped for those purposes. 1t is pro-
posed, therefore, that the Interior De-
partment shall continue jurisdiction
over land destined for settlement or
sale and reserves still in formative con-
dition, with undetermined boundaries,
but others to be selected by the presi-
dent are to be administered by the De-
partment of Agriculture.
A valuable feature of the bill relates
to the reserves already established by
the States, and notably those of New
York State. On this point the commit
tee says in it's report:
Under our dual system of government
the question of game preservation with
In the limits Of the State might involve
some friction and trouble If there were
not some mutually in the establish
ment of such reserves. A question as
to the power of the national govern
ment to create scuh reserves within the
limits of the State is one involving some
constitutional difficulties, and before
this bill was prepared the subject was
submitted to the Attorney General
who gave careful opinion upon the
subject which we will set out in this re-
port. Your committee are Of the opin-
ion that by only establishing game and
fish preserves in the forest reserves
within the limits of State, upon the
request of the Governor of the State
full harmonious action could thus be
obtained and the public opinion of the
State would coincide with the purposes
of the general government in creating
and sustaining such preserves. There
are VIDE dlHefenceS as 10 CllHldle, dltl-
tude and general character In the va
.rious reserves. 1t is therefore not prac-
ticable. where such reserves are set
apart for refuge for game, birds and
Ash. to provide any hard and fast regu-
Iations Therefore the bill provides for
the promulgatio of rules and regula-
lions by the department having such |
reserves in charge, which regulations |
NAV be changed from time to time, as
the necessities of the case or actual ex-
perience may suggest. The violation of |
these regulations is made a misdemean- |
or and the custodian Of the reserves |
are charged with the duty of enforcing |
such regulations.
In the Yellowstone National Park the !
first attempt at national game preser- |
walton has now been in progress for |
many years Unfortunately, the alti- |
tude. heavy SHOWS and some other |
causes have prevented the experiment |
there from being a success as to the |
buffalo The herd of several hundred |
which has originally disappeared, until !
only about twenty-five this time re- |
main. The elk have prospered greatly |
in that region, and have furnished a |
1T, ~ F,~,,I rt- IL.