Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-01-11

Al the recent great American
Forest Congress held Al Washington,
ID. c. among a number OF addresses
was ope by Guy Elliott Mitchell, Sec
Rotary, the National Irrigation Associ.
alton. on Tho Close Relation Be
tween Forestry and Irrigation.
The connection between a compre.
hensiye system Of forestry and IT.
rigatIon Is a local one. said the speak.
or. affecting but one-half Of the ter
Yitory OF the United States, the ARID
region, whereas forestry itself, aB
affecting water supply Is q purely
national question, as well Al a local
one In each state and drainage basin.
For this reason the new forestry
movement has a countrywide inter.
est and while California Is alarmed
over the destruction OF her forests
and the drying up OF her streams. the
life blood OF her communities, Penn
sylvahia and New England are like
wise exercised over the threatened
danger TO their water sources. neces'
sary for city and town supplies and
for power production. In the west
the destruction OF forests has an In.
Innate bearing upon the capacity Of
iho states 10 sustain population. for
#M
population results from irrigation, ir-
rigation depends upon water supply
and water supply IL furnished from
the melting SHOWS caught and held
by the forests clothing the great
mountain chains Of the sierras and
The Rockies,
Three things are necessary to pfo.
duce a maximum water supply for
irrigation.
First. To prevent Wholesale destsuc
tion Of timbered water sheds.
Second. TO substitute therefor n ra
tfonal system OF forest cutting and,
Third. where possible 10 atorest
and reforest lands where the yalne OF
the water supply warrants thls most
advanced and expensive feature Of
the American forestry plan.
Stop Waste First.
The first OF these should receive
the first consideration; the present
waste should be checked and the
second part Of the plan adopted be-
fore II Ia too late and the third and
most expensive part becomes the
only remedy. For every thousand
dollars now expended In carrying out
the firsot two provisions of the plan,
where all that is needed Is TO husband
aud direct the Of nature. It
Is perhaps not an ~exaggeration 10 say
that a million dollars and much time
win be required 10 attain the same
results through forest planting. The
latter. while perhaps a subject for
future rather than presanl application
or a large scale holds out wonderful
eventual possibilities. The state
Of the government forester at the
I'll Paso Irrigation Congress that
liberal experiments have proven that
enormous areas OF the west can by
systematic planting be made into for.
ests with the effect Of restoring
streams which have disappeared and
creating new streams holds out new
and unknown potentiallties of en-
uranelug interest 10 the forest and
water student
But what is needed today Is more
strength To the arm OF American
Forestry for the immediate proseca
ton n Its carefully outlined plans
~ save shat sc have How sea before
us The two greatest pfoblems
before this country today. problems
well worthy the expenditure by the
nation Of millions and hundreds Of
millions of dollars instead % lhous
ands and hundreds IN thousands OF
dollars, are forestry n irrigation
They will return such expenditure.
principle and interest. many times
over. and The carrying out of the pol.
icy will demonstrate It's wisdom easi
~ within the present generation
A Practical Business Plan.
The workings Of the Forestry
Bureau have come within he past
two years TO be recognized as a prae.
ticai. bard headed business PROPOSE
ton. The present forester, Clifford.
Pinchoi. when criticised for bis 90.
lhnsiasm in the setting apart Of for
ear and the Substitution o