The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-03-04
THEY ASK Why.
Husbandry Association Wants to Know Why
They are IGNORED.

mouse last saturday afternoon to attend
to some routine work. The matter oil
petitions to the interior department with
regard to sheep grazing on the Rainier
forest reserve was fully discussed
These petitions were reported to be
signed up full and will be forwarded tc
the department this week. AS the in.
terror department ignored the former
petition of the farmers of the Ahtanum,
Cowychee and Wenas creeks the follow.
ing was adopted as voicing the senti.
ment of the association:
We view with alarm the action of the
secretary of the interior and the CON-
missioner Of the general land Office in
ignoring the petitions of ninety-five per
cent of the actual settlers on the All
tanum, Cowychee and Wenas creeks, in
Yakima county, and ninety-nine per
cent on Menastah and Tanum creeks, in
Kittitas county, Washington, asking
that sheep grazing be not allowed at
sources of these streams on Rainier
forest reserve.
There are about 600 of the-o oldest and
best established farms that depend on
the waters of the above streams for irri-
cation. The settlers located upon these
streams from 20 to 35 years ago, when
their banks were full of water for most
of the year. Since sheep began to Craze
the mountains there has been a con-
tinual decrease of the water flow, until
now irrigation has to cease in many
places after July, and the water flow is
at least one-third less than it was ten
years ago. These farms represent the
accumulations of time and these settlers
were the real pioneers that marked the
trail that others might follow.
Is it not reasonable to believe that the
people who have lived here and cult
waited their farms for all these years
know if the water supply is diminishingP
Where does the department get its in
formation otherwise? Is it from some
expert who can at best only guess, or
is it from the wool grower? Why does
not the department, if it really wants
correct information, consult the farmer
who has an interest in the protection of
the water shed, as we'll as the develop
ment of the country? Are all the agri-
cultural possibilities of our country to
be hazarded by the word or the report
of the officials in charge of this reserve
in this state and who, we have every
reason to believe, take no interest in the
protection of the watersheds?
The charge has been made by the de-
partment in Washington, d. c., that
one Joel Shoemaker, a newspaper cor
respondent, had prepared the petitions
of the farmers OF Ahtanum, Cowychee
and Wenas creeks against sheep grazing
on the Rainier forest reserve. Is there
any reason why any citizen cannot write
the body Of a petition? 1t is for the sign
ers to determine whether the statements
contained therein are true. But the
facts are, Hon. Ira p. Englehart, an at
torney of North Yakima, who makes
such things part of his business, drew
them up, the facts being furnished by
the petitioners, inwhich every word was
true and can be proved.
The claim is made by the department,
that these streams are small and head
in spur of the Cascade range in dry
and almost arid regions, distant from the
general sheep grazing areas, and there
fore not materially affected by the graz
ing OF sheep. If this were true and
they were dry and arid, so much more
would it be necessary to protect it's
watershed where so many hundreds of
farms are dependent on their waters for
irrigation.
We cannot understand how the de-
partment could be SO easily deceived by
such false representations, as the head
waters of Ahtanum and Cowychee creeks
are in a spur of the Cascade range, and
have an altitude OF from four to five
thousand feet, nearly as high as the
main summit OF the Cascades. 1t is no
drier than other spurs of the same range
on its eastern slope, and is as much a
distinct watershed from these streams
as the main range is for the Natchez
river. As to being far removed from
the sheep grazing areas, the facts are
that this is the first part sheep Craze on
in entering the reseve, and the last place
on leaving; therefore it suffers more
damage than any other part OF the re-
aarva Wa claim no man cau on on