The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-27
PICKS OUT RESERVE.
Eugene Z. Bruce Tells Forestry As
ISOLATION of Selection Under
Morris Bill.
Northwesterly Portion of Chippewa
Reservation, He Says, Meets
Reserves Needs.

Eugene B. Bruce, lumberman Of the
bureau of forestry, told the American
Forestry association yesterday what had
been done in carrying out the provisions
Of the Norris bill for the Minnesota ma
tional forest reserve. He said in part:
Il have been requested to outline to
you here what has been done thus far
In carrying out the provisions of the Nor
ris bill.
Immediately after the passage Of the
Morris bill work was commenced by the
bureau Of forestry In the general land
and the Indian offices at Washington.
d. c., by the collection of data necessary
for the preparation of suitable maps to
show the location Of the Indian allotments
already made and the classification of the
lands by the corps OF examiners which
had worked on this reservation previous
to the passage of this bill. About the
first of August we had procured all the
data available at that time.
Field work was commenced early in
August by the examination Of the res
ervations with a small party under my
supervision. Practically the whole of the
reservation YVES examined. In the course
Of this preliminary examination we found
that the old surveys were very faulty,
that many Of the township, range and sec
tion corners were entirely obliterat ted, and
that the old classif1cations in many in
stances were inaccurate and did not cor
1T was also discovered that the war
department had, prior to the passage Of
the act creating the Minnesota national
forest reserve, purchased from the Indians
the right to flow certain portions Of the
reservations from which the selection for
the national forest reserve was to be
made; that the delineation of the territory
which they had the right to flow had not
yet been completed, and until that was
done there was no possible way of de-
termining just what they would flow, or
where their rights began or ended; also,
that there were many Indians yet to be
allotted, and that the exact location where
these allotments would be made could not
at this time be foretold.
Difficulties In the Way.
EARLY In November a letter was sent
to the Interior department., explaining
fully all these conditions existing on the
ground, and asking whether 1t was pos
sible for a rssurvey to be made prior to
q first selection, and whether the bureau
would be allowed to include in its first
selection lands which were found to be
faulty classified as agricultural" for
the purpose Of consolidating the area de-
sired to be included, thereby making 1t
possible to patrol and protect, and sue
cessfully administer the reserve when
completed A map showing the boun-
daries and classiicatons of the proposed
first selection, and photographs showing
some Of the incorrectly classified agri-
cultural territory were submitted with
the letter. The answer, when received,
was unfavorable.
TN a communication of, March 81, 1903,
a proposition was made to the department
of the interior by the bureau of forestry
for the purpose of expediting and facili-
tating the opening Of the reservation. This
proposition was accepted by the secretary
Of the interior, April 20, 1903. ..
First Selection. ..t q.
'At first selection was therefore made
embracing 104. 1925 acres, Of which 49,
7O7.O3 acres were cIassed as pine lands
and 14,752.22 acres were classed as agri-
cultural, this, constituting the first selec-
tion Of the 225.000 acres Of land to be Sc
lected by the forester under the terms Of
the Morris bill, and was large area
as could we'll be included and keep the
selected territory in a compact body, with
the exception Of the Indian allotments.
There were also selected 6,399.s3 acres to
be included In the ten sections reserved
from sale or settlement. This first selec-
ton, and also the lands selected to con-
stitute the ten sections, received the Sec
retary's approval June 20, 1908.
I'm December Of 1902, the bureau COM
menced a study for the purpose Of de-
termining the best methods for reservins
the per cent of merchantable timber
allowed by the act for insuring reproduc-
ton. 1t has been decided to use the diam
eter limit as a basis Of calculation. AL
trees to be reserved Of the diameter of ten
inches and above are to be stamped with
the letters ~. s." near the roots, and
where necessary again three feet from the
ground. The work Of marking the timber
has been In progress since May 10, 1908
and Is still in progress. The boundary
lines of the ten sections reserved from
sale and settlement are at present being
surveyed and notices posted every five
chains.
Location Choice Ono.
Regarding the location Of the selection
there are many reasons why that portion
of the Chippewa Indian reservation stu
ated In the northerly and westerly part
Is most desirable a location for the
Minnesota National Forest Reserve. One
very important one Is that In this par
ticular locality there Is the largest com
pact acreage classified as pine land O.
any section within the reservation of the
Chippewas Of the Mississippi which