, 1905-02-02
A FOREST
CONGRESS
REMARKABLE CONFERENCE BE
TWEEN INDUSTRIES DEPEN-
DENT UPON FORESTS.
Most Representative and Notable Gath
ering In the History of American
Forestry-keyrote Struck BY Pres
ident Roosevelt When He Called
It a Congress of Forest Users.

estry, department of agriculture:
The American forest well
and thoroughly accomplished its initial
purpose-the bringing together in joint
discussion of all the interests Deepen
dent upon the forests. The congress
was pre-, eminently representative of
the numbering, mining and grazing in
dustries, of the railroads and of irriga-
ton. Practically every state in the
Union and h chief consumers of for.
est products We're represented by del
egates. Each session of the four days
was fully occupied with papers present.
ing the ablest thought of the nation
along all lines of inquiry covered. The
lu~mberman, the miner and the stock
man, whose business depends upon the
use of the forest, touched elbows with
the irrigator and government officials
beth state and national who wish the
forest 10 be used only in a way which
will improve and perpetuate it. Such
a congress would have been impossible
a few years ago. So little was fores-
try then understood that the rights
and purposes of lumbermen, stockmen,
miners and irrigators were held to be
SO Numerically opposed to those OF
the foresters that no common ground
between them ever could be found. A
meeting then between the representa-
tives of opposed interests was a signal
for friction, not an occasion for mutual
concession and expression of good will.
The whole face of the situation has
been radically changed. Each inter
est now recognizes the other has a
just claim on its forbearance, care and
cooperation. The interdependence of
all upon the forest, and the ability of
the forest, when properly treated, to
furnish each In turn the product need
ed are now universally admitted. This
entire change in sentiment is the
strongest guarantee that II of the
greatest of our sources of national
wealth is to be saved from speedy de
| Sll uCllDH. lit htS llolc vi NolSlNSS
was struck by President Roosevelt,
when he called it a congress of forest
users.
The underlying and absorbing
Thought of the congress as the proper
use of the forest-how to use ii so
that each industry could get the most
advantage from it and yet how the
total use should result in its perpetual
ton and constant Improvement. Every
interest joined with the toresters in
regretting the forest ravage of the past
and in earnest purpose for putting into
effect better methods in the future.
The deliberations took concrete form
al the close of the session in the adop-
ton of a set of resolutions, the most
important of which were the follow
ing: Urging on congress and all leg
~islative bodies full protection and pres
~ervation of the forest, especially pro-
lection from fire; advising reduction
OF taxation on lands held for forest re-
production, so as to induce forest con
servation; urging the repeal of the
timber and o act; advising the
guarded sale of timber growing on pub,
lie lands; favoring in case of lieu lane
selections an exchange for lands OF
equivalent value or of similar condi-
ton of forest growth; advocating the
Immediate consolidation of all govern
ment forest work, including the admin
istration of the national forest re
serves, in the department Of agricul-
ture; favoring the passage OF a law
which will authorize the sale of all
non-mineral products of the forest re-
~serves. the proceeds to be applied to
the management and protection of the
Preserves and to road and trail construc-
ltion within them; that congress ap,
propriate adequate sums for the pro-
motion of forest education and expert
ment work in all agricultural colleges
and experiment stations in the United
States; that opportunities be increas-
ed for general forest education in
schools and colleges, and for profes-
sional training in postgraduate
schools; urging the establishment Of
national forest reserves in the south
ern Appalachians n in the White
mountains; that congress declare for
feited all right-of-way permits not eX-
l~ercised promptly on issuance, and Sc
|cure to all industries engaged in law
full business and which will promptly
use their permits, the possession OF
necessary rights of way similar to
those of railroads and irrigation COM
panies. reasonable payment to be ex-
acted for the use of rights of way on
forest reserves n other public lands;
THAT all state legislatures provide laws
land financial aid to consolidate the rur'
al schools in units sufficiently large
THAT forestry, agriculture and home
Economies may be successfully taught
by precept, example and practical
work; and protesting against the at
tempted reduction Of the area of the
Minnesota national forest reserve.