The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-10
GOVERNMENT POLICY
AS TO FOREST
RESERVES
General Land Commissioner
Richards Says Home Build
ers and Small Ranchers
Will Be Encouraged
State Laws to Control
Federal FOresters.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March g.
Commissioner Richards, of the general
land office, who is the special repre-
sentative of the president pertaining
to lands, irrigation and forestry, and
who was formerly for four years gov
ernor of Wyoming, today made the fol-
lowing statement respecting the policy
of this administration relating to the
establishment and control of forest
reservations:
The presidents purpose and desire
is to protect and preserve the remain
Ing forests upon public lands from the
deYaStatiOnS and destruction which
have been their fate in large portions
of the Appalachian mountains and in
other forest sections of the country In
doing this supply of timber will be
preserved for future needs and natural
sources of water supply will so be pro-
tected as to prevent flooding of the
streams during the spring time and
the melting of the SHOWS and to in
sure water for irrigation and other
purposes during the dry season. The
establishment and proper maintenance
OF forest reserve is indispensable to
any extensive reclamation or cultiva-
ton of lands in the arid region under
the recent act of congress, which APP
propriates for that purpose the pro-
ceeds of the sales of public lands.
nome Builders PREFERRED.
'It is and has been the presidents
constant policy to encourage the ac-
tual settlement of the country by home
builders in every way, to see that ac-
tual settlers within the forest reserves
are accorded every reasonable protec-
ton, and that those living within the
immediate vicinity of these reserves
who are dependent upon the reserves
for grazing of cattle and horses and
for necessary timber for building and
fuel are accorded access to the re-
serves for these purposes, under such
reasonable restrictions as will prevent
waste and destruction. 1t has been so
conclusiVely demonstrated that I'M
comfortable sheep grazing within for
est reserves is injurious to the forest
growth and to the natural water cover
that the great migratory f1ocks of
sheep are necessarily kept out of the
reserves, but even this policy is pur-
sued with cautious attention to the
prevention of injury to those engaged
in sheep raising.
The preservation of wild game
such as Moose, elk 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 emplyed in the forestry service
shall in all practicable ways aid in the
enforcement of the game and fish laws
of the state or territory in which the
forest reserve is located.
State Laws to Govern.
1.-THE law of the state or territory
upon this subject is to be the sole
guide of these officers. In some of the
Western states and territories, notably
Wyoming, the government forest ran
gers are by laws of the state made as
sistant game wardens of the state.
The work of establishing and main
tanning forest reserves will have so
vast and beneficial an influence in the
settlement and development of the
Western states and territories that it
must be controlled by a fixed policy,
to which matters of minor or tempo
rary consideration must give way to
the final and general permanent public
good. The one guiding purpose of the
administration in dealing with for
estry, with pasturage, with irrigation
and with the land generally is to help
make easy the path of the home build
er, the small ranchman or tiller of the
soil, and not to let the land be ex-
plotted and skinned by those who
have no permanent interest therein,
and who do not build homes and re-
main as actual residents