The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-23
the governor, he made the following

SSoSSlucIl. +.
The presidents purpose aud desire is to protect
and preserve the remaining forests upon public
lands from the devastations and destruction
which has been the fate of those in large por-
forested sections. In doing this supply Of
timber VIII be preserved for future needs, and
natural sources of water supply Will be 50
protected to prevent flooding of tho streams
during the sprngtime and the melting OF the
SHOWS, and to insure water for irrigation and
other purposes during the dry season. The estab-
lishment and proner maintenance OF forest re-
serves is Indispensable to any extensive reclama-
tioa or cultivation of lands in the arid region
under the recent act of congress, which appro-
pirates for that purpose the proceeds of the
sales of public lands. It is and has been the
presidents consistent policy to encourage the
actual settlement OF the country by home build
ers in every way. to see that actual settlers
within the forest reserves are accorded every
reasonable protection, and that those living
within the immediate vicinity of these re-
serves. who are dependent upon the reserves for
necessary timber for building and fuel, are ac-
corded to the reserves for these purposes.
under such reasonable restrictions will prevent
waste and destruction. +.r RI r..
1t has been 50 conclusively demonstrates that
uncontrolled sheep grazing within forest re-
serves is injurious to the forest growth and to
the natural water cover, that the great migra-
tory aocks of sheep are necessarily kept out Of
the reserves; but even this policy Is pursued
with cautious attention to the prevention of
injury to those engaged in sheen raising. The
and deer, which Is only minor feature OF the
control of the forest reserves, is authorized by an
act OF congress, Which directs that those en-
ployed In the forestry service shall In all prac-
ticable ways aid In the enforcement of the game
and fish laws OF the state or territory in which
| the forest reserve Is located. The law OF the
state territory upon this subject is to be the
| sole guide OF these officers. The United States
has interposed no law of it's own, and the admin
istration has given directions to its forestry
officers other than that the local laws, whatever
they may be, shall be enforced. pr
In of the western states and territories,
notably Wyoming, the government forest rang
| ers are by the laws of the state made assistant
game wardens of the state The work of estab-
fishing and maintaining forest reserves will
have such vast and beneficial influence in the
! settlement and development Of the western states
fixed policy to which matters of minor or
temporary concern must give way for the general
and permanent public good. The one guiding
purpose of the administration in dealing with
forestry, with pasturage. with irrigation, with
the land generally, Is to help and make easy
the path OF the home builder, the small ranch
land be exploited and skinned by those who
have no permanent inter therein, and who do
not build homes or remain actual residents.
Temporary Withdrawals Made.
It has been said that the withdrawals
of forested Lands have been made without
| Investigation to ascertain the conditions
| in the areas covered and it is admitted
certain extent. 1t is because of this lack
of knowledge that the withdrawals are
what LIS known as Temporary; that is,
| the areas described may be diminished or
otherwise changed after an investigation.
AS b matter Of fact, it is asserted, all the
! areas covered by temporary Withdrawals
are looked over carefully by field corps Of
the geological survey, all protests are
! carefully looked into, and such changes
in boundaries are made as are deemed
necessary after the fullest inquiry.
| Petitions by the score for the creation
I Of forest reserves are received at the In
terror department every month. Many are
| denied, but in other cases temporary with
drawals are made as the result of more or
| less hasty examinations. For instance,
| when the withdrawal was made for the
proposed Lake Superior reserve in Mime
| sofa, the request for it came from General
| G. G. Andrews, fire warden of that state.
! In Washington. the withdrawals for the
consolidation of the Washington and Mt.
Rainier reserves were. made on the
recommendation of the field officers Of the
| geological survey. The Willowa with
| drawal in Oregon was made on the re-
| quest of Representative Williamson, who
| was a member of the state legislature
| when the petition was filed. The Blue
Mountain reserve in the same state, and
the extensive additions to the reserves in
California were made on the recommends
ton of the geological survey, backed up
possibly. by fear that at no very distant
date, large proportion of the timber land
would be held by private parties, &C.
quired under the timber and stone act
the alleged extensive frauds in acquiring
timber land under this act in the Pa.
ciflc coast states have undoubtedly had a
great deal, to do with the extensive with
drawals of timber land, for the secretary
of the interior wants all the forests to re.
main intact, so far as they can be KEEP
thus. until plans for national irrigation
have been fully n1atured. When these
have been decided upon there is a posi-
bility that some of the reserves may be
diminished In size, but 1t will be some
years before anything is done in that di
rection. The tendency is to increase
rather than diminish, the forested are:
in control Of the government.
w ". Jerrnane.