Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-11-03
FOREST RESERVE POLICY
ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE
Views of Senator Dubois on One of the Great
Questions of the Development of the
West

'l9o"), the to2.16S acres of irrigated
land in Idaho was 426 per cent of its
total improved land OF the total num-
ber of farms, those irrigated constitut
ed 52.6 per cent The value of all land
in the irrigated farms was $21,S50135;
the value of the buildings thereon s4.-
33S,425 and the investment in canals
and bitches s5.120,39 making a capi-
tai, represented by irrigation farming.
exclusive of stock implements crops
etc. of s31, ,3OS. .959. The average of all
irrigated land was s31.25 per acre !:
while that of the best, suitable for
growing fruit. ranges from $50 to $500
per acre The value of irrigated crops
In 1899, the latest year for which figures
could be given, was $5,440,962 as
sumo that in 1904 it was twice this
amount at least,
Nearly all of this land would be com
paratively valueless without irrigation.
and with irrigation a similar value can
be given a great portion OF the now
valueless area OF the state. In the de-
cade between 1890 and 1900 irrigation
increased the improved area in Idaho
by 316 per cent and added over s12.-
ooo'ooo to It's farming wealth. Future
DEVELOPMENT in greater proportio, is
limited. not by available land. but al
most solely by available water supply.
which can never be provided by reser-
voir storage unless assisted to the
greatest possible degree by forest stor-
age And the lands covered by the
above statistics lie almost wholly on
streams rising in the proposed forest
reserves recommended by the depart :
nent of agriculture.
Hitherto except in few locali-
ties. the various destructi,N agencies
have not pushed back into the noun
tais far enough to denude the water
sheds. and perceptibly affect the flow
or the streams: therefore the water us
ers, while suffering from shortage al
ready. have not learned the lesson of
forest protection through experiencing
the dimunition OF supply which fol-
lows destruction of the forest They re-
alize fully the obstacle TO further de-
Velopment of arid lands. h"t base their
calculations on the present stream flow
without considering the even more Sc
rious possibility of the present supply
being diminished. II is for these rea-
Idaho have not organized to secure for
est protection as much as they have
elsewhere, where the necessity has been
proved by bitter experience
Il need not argue that mining abso-
lutely requires sustained supply Of
timber and water, and that its profits
are greatly affected by the chea pness
of both. The point is whether such
favorable conditions are assured to
those who are spending their lives and
money to develop this great industry of
Idaho. Experience has shown other
wise. Countless camps have seen the
timber and water. second only to ore
in necessity to their growth either de-
stroyed by fire or diminished so as to
greatly imperil their future And now
that saw mills are becoming their ac-
tive competitors many have not long
10 wait before the supply which they
confidently relied on will he cut before
their eyes and shipped out of the state.
NO industry has more to gain than min
ins from a system which brings pro-
lection against fire and Cwhile freely
allowing timber to those who need and
nave flght I" IT.. against waste and
uhfair 'ompt tnuon,
But Nhlt' forest reserves protect the