Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-02-06
BUREAU OF FORESTRY
Beneficial Work Of Clifford PInchol
Chief Forester,
PRESERVATION or FOREST RESERVES

more lasting mark upon the country's
economic lie than the young man
Who ave years ago. AZ the age OF 31,
became forester OF che United statoa.
Presidents. cabinets and Legislators
come and go. but n Ginord Pinohot
lives he may reasonably hope 10 de-
vote che space OF q generation 20 the
important work ho has In hand. Aud
the nature Of the work Is such that its
influence will be- fot for e thousand
ycars 90 come
mr. Finchot wh6 deliberately odu.
Gated Cor the career Ia which be IS
now engaged. A native OF Connect
cut he graduated from Yale Ia 1889
and then studied forestry IN France
Germany Switzerland and Austria.
lie began bic FIRST systematic forest
work in Butmoro. North Carolina, To-
January 1899. on the famous estate
OF George W. Vanderbilt Ho also
served as men scr Of the National
Forest commission which drew the
boundaries % the Cleveland forest
resorvoa lio has been a large con.
tributor 10 the literature on the SUBJ
icct which supplies bis llfe work aud
has done much 10 this way 10 bring
II home 90 the popular comprehension.
He became forester uldcr the depart
mont Of agriculture on July I 1895.
and has gradually perfected the or.
ganization Of a superb working force
% young men which now covers thu
entire country M the south and in
the Adirondack region OF New York
his plans for scientific numbering and
roiorostation have boon quite genor
ally accepted hy those engaged in The
! industry.
Il ls 10 the great mountain regions
OF tNe west. however. that Mr. Plnchot
finds his widest ANA most important
/ aoid There the relation OF the forest
10 the economic life OF the entire com.
munity b. much deeper and more far.
reaching than anywhere else The
preservation OF tho forest Is not
merely a question Of a continued sup
/ ply Of timber In Ms raw and manufac.
] ANANA A"ANAHf NNA ~ - NluW N NANaNt"ii
% conserving the water supply upon
which agriculture and mining are
directly and Ell other kinds OF bCsi'
ness indirectly. dependent And IN
the far west the policy OF scientific
forestry has had 20 contend with pow
erful opposition. for q is regarded aE
somewhat revolutionary. Remote
from large contora. sparseiy populat
cd and instinct with a spirit OF ontor
prise which older sections can hardly
appreciate. the far west has cravet
development and courted capital with
ont the most thoughtful regard for Oh,
interests OF postority The dostwc
ton OF o. tlmbered watershed. herr
and there. by wastefil numbering haI
} been regarded az the loss Of only
drop from the full bucket OF local re-
sources. while the investment OF cap
ltal IN mills. railroads. and the en-
ploymont Of large amounts q lab0
has seemed o complete offset
The 0rst step In the new plan VA
/ the setting aside OF millions Of acre.
az forest reserves. This excited 90
tense opposition In many localities
! Il was commended that much Ian,
. which had no value for the purpos0
was included within tho reservation
. and that both grazing and the settle
ment Of agricultural soil would be an
reasonably intorfored with IN consg
i quonce
3 Mr. Pinchot replied by saying tha
] these boundaries were only tentative
) and that when accurate lines are RAJ
an land NOT valuable for reserves vii
, be- excluded. further. that liyostocl
will be allowed 10 Craze IN the a.
serves under permits providing 70
J the enforcement OF reasonable rogu
} lauOnE
} There were many .nnuental mel
who asserted that the forests are 90
! valuable 10 conserving water suppl
: and claimed that they absorb NOR
} water than they save. Furthermore
they said that the forest grows agai
} very quickly and that che brush whic
springs up almost as soon aa the tree
are cue holds the snow better than th
forest itself
La answer 90 this formidable obie,
ton Mr.. Pinchot replied that thos
I who put Il forth are simply mistake
that the experience OF Rll mankln
shows THAI tho forests DO regulate th
streams. Tint experience ia deanitel
i confirmed by local studies made 1
various parts Of the west and 10 COZ
4 olusiyely accepted by the highest a.
( thorities on the subject In the Unite
, states
y But the most serious mlaappr,
henslon waB the notion that the se
ting apart OF reserves, and the sciol
tinc methods OF forestry 90 follow
would end or largely Cur,ail tho lon
Der INDUSTRY on mountain watershed
To this objection the forester mad
the Following notable response:
Il am not a preservoF % trees. I 81
a cutter down OF trees Il h the q
sence of forestry 20 have trees ha
vested when they are ripe and 10
{ lowed BY successive crops The hl
man race is not destroyed because th
" individual dios Every ludlvidul
% must die. hlt the race lives on 8