Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-08-06
FACTS ABOUT OUR FORESTS.
Gen. q. G. Andrews, Chief Fl<e Warden In
His Seventh Annual Report Shows
the Conditions Of F0reafa

Gen. 9. C. Andrews, Chief Fl<e Warden In
His Seventh Annual Report Shows
the Conditions Of Forests..
4. The forestry law Of Minnesota makes
tne state Auditor Forest Commissioner,
to be known as Chief Fire Warden.
From the Seventh Annual Report Of this
Gmcer Gen. G. c: Andrews), which has
! the local wardens town supervisory re-
| ported IS forest fires, which burned over
s sGS acres Of mostly light timber brush
amount Of $42.14o. One Of these fires was
caused by two small boys burning dry
grass as so as as to find COW bell. There
| the spring and autumn. The number OF
prairie fires reported was Is. which burn
ed rS ovsr S.l2o acres: damage. $2,4o2.
carelessly causing forest or prairie fires,
including two indictments against rail-
road company, and seven convictions.
prare are wb;c cSu5ng Of forest
punishable by fine not exceeding $4,000.
or by Imprisonment in the county jail
| hre IN dry and dangerous weather, for
whateVer purpose, without the means Of
meaninr e. IT. is within the
probability Of danger. oeg Where apG person a
sets a fire in dry weather in the midst
| q IL
spread and endanger other property.
The precautions therefore must be great.
A person who sets fire in dry weather.
whether to clear land or otherwise, must
do 1t in such a careful way that it will
not endanger the property Of another, OK
ee 1st snHeT the me- 9i The
or scrape break around it; he will
burn no more at a time than he can
e;e% The careless man is the one
he undertakes to do too much, and does
not have nor apply proper means for
preventing his fire from Spreading.
Fire Warden to investigate the extent
Of the forests in the state, together with
the amount and varieties OF wood and
II any; to promote the regrowth Of tim
per; the information so gathered to be
included in his annual report. The spirit
OF or the law requires him to keep abreast
the subject in his annual reports in a
| way to advance its interests. 1t is the
Roi at,yy Of the law to create public sent
nual report contained a full account of
the forests Iii the state.
| 70 climb mountain range, to look off
wilderness-this was my experience in the
county from Gunfiint Lake, on the
Mras at ake he to Gr3aa
miles was made by boat on Guntiint,
Loon and Iron lakes, the balance, forty
miles, afoot on the county road, which
Is very much overgrown with bushes and
passable for vehicles only about fifteen
miles out from Grand Marais.
COOK county has an area of million
| acres, and population of only 800. The
surface, which is much broken, was once
| thlckly wooded, and, while long stretches
have st, been a, deselated by fire. the country
worth of standing pine remaining in
| scattered localities; great quantity of
spruce, cedar, birch, maple and poplar.
passed over TRACTS too rocky for cult
fallen and weather-worn trunks of large
white pines testify to a once magnificent
forest. Already on the same land a
pine has start of from ten to fifteen
years. There are some townships in the
county which, on account of the prevail
for agriculture. The greater part of the
county is covered with mixed timber.
and when cleared will be used for farm
ing.
1t is, estimated that there are, in scat
tered localities, and principally in north
ern Minnesota, 100000 acres of, waste
sandy, billy or rocky land that is only
fit for bearing pine forest. Hence, If the
| state were now to begin to plant that
land with pine at the rate Of 1880 acres
years become a well stocked normal for
est, yielding perpetually thereafter CTS,
900. GOO feet, board measure annually. The
net to the state Wo%d be
would, at such future time, be worth.
standing. 1t might be 100000 or more.
What a great endowment this would be
did revenue from waste lands, which
| otherwise would every year become more
barren barren , and USELESS, it would afford
and, among indirect benefits, it would
tend to beautify our landscape. modify
the Temperature, fertilize the soil. and
saes ndeed NAVE the sep Natural Tes rev
es for such a great work. individuals
Will not, and cannot, wait eighty years
for crop, of timber to grow, and if our
must undertake the enterprise.
The report contains the Morris bill.
passed by Congress June. 1902, for open
and Leech lakes. Under this act the
pine timber is to be cut and sold for the
benefit of the Indians, after careful
measYrement ample notice and under
LOCO feet for Norway pine, and $500 per
1000 feet for white pine, and according
to rules to be made BY the Secretary OF
partment of Agriculture. Only the mer-
charitable pine Is to be cut on the pine
lands. The purchaser of timber has to
from fire to the timber left standing,
After the pine Is cut. the lands are to be
open to settlement. However. 100000
acres Of the pine lands are to become
and remain forest reserve as soon as
the pine is cut thereon and on these
lands five per cent of the standing pine
Is to be left for reforestation. In addi-
ton, ten sections (6,4oo acres) Of land
with the timber thereon, are to form q
part Of the reserve. The islands in Cass
and Leech lakes, and Pine and Sugar
points, are to remain as Indian lands.
The cutting Of the pine is to be under the
bill repeats the dead and down" tim
Der act, and marks altogether an i'm
oortant advance in forestry.
For s eyer 60, tw Ea years. Minnesota
planting trees on prairie land. The re-
port contains the provisions of law regu-
lating the payment of such bounties,
which are $3.50 per acre for period OF
each individual.
This report contains short, clear and
practical sketches Of the administration
Of state forests in sixteen countries in
governments, being the most comprehen-
sive, reliable and practical view Of Euro
pean forestry that has been brought
together in any one publication.
| BY permission of the eminent forester,
DR.. William Schlich. a forest working
plan report" is copied from his Forestry
Manual. A forest working plan regulates
the management Of a forest in such q
gre as fully as possible realized. The
| working plan report is a document which
| describes the system Of management in
such detail as may be required in each
case.
The report contains many original H.
lustrations Of Minnesota forests and for
| ostsy landA