The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-07
THE CHIPPEWA RESERVE
Work on It Cannot Be Done for
Some Time Preliminaries
to Be Settled.
From The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Build.
ing, Washington.

From The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Build
ing, Washington,
Washington, D. c.. Feb. AT a con-
ference yesterday between Representative.
Tawney and Clifford Pinchot. chief of the
forestry division of the department of
agriculture, it developed that the estab-i
lishment of a forest reserve on the Chippe-.
wa coded land cannot be brought about un-
til next December at the earliest. The rea-
son for this is that there are several de-
tails to be cleared up as to agricultural
lands, etc.
Mr. Bruce. chief lumberman of Mr.. Pin
chot's bureau. has been in Minnesota and
has recommended the reservation of a
tract embracing about 100000 acres B of
timber land and. nominally 900 acres
of agricultural land. The classification of
the agricultural land is based on the opin-
ions OF the Seelye estima tors many years
ago, and is not correct, according to Mr..
Bruce. Then a large area. of it is swamp.
or Will soon be overflowed because of the
construction of the Winnibigashish and
Leech lake dams by army engineers.
When these dams are completed they will
raise the level Of the water in the lakes
three or four feet. This will result in the
overflow OF large tracts on the shores of
the lakcs, but the exact extent of the
overflow cannot be stated now. The war
department has been requested to furnish
the interior department and the depart
ment Of agriculture with information
about this overflow with maps showing
the land to be inundated and rendered
useless Tor purposes other than that of the
war department in connection with the
lmpounding Of water at the foot Of the
lakes The war department has paid $780,
| ooo Tor the overf1oWed lands and Pincho
| does not want to have two bra inches of the
! government claiming jurisdiction over the
same body of land. He will therefore wal
| until the war department determines mex
summer just how much land will be need
| ed by the war department before makinf
any selection. Another obstacle to thu
| Immediate establishment of the forestr,
reserve is the unreliability of the sur
| Eeys. These surveys were made thirt,
| Years ago and the corner marks of town
ships, etc, have become obliterated It il
probable, however, that no new survey
Will be ordered as enough of these surve,
! marks are left to determine the lines t.
| be followed by lumbermen when logging i
commenced. 1t is said at the interior de
partment that a decision on these point
Will not delay timber sales. nor proven
the opening Of the reservations to settle
| ment as fast as the classification of tn
! land is completed and approved. MI
| t'1nchot will be asked to define in a genera
way the boundaries of the proposed for
ested areas, and timber outside thes
boundaries will be put on the market an
agricultural lands will also be opened t
settlement whenever enough of Their
| have been classified to come within the law
1t is not probable, however, that timbe
i sales Will be advertised or agriculture
lands opened until we'll along in the sum
mer, probably in July.