The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-23
ABOUT FADED AWAY
Colorado Forest Rapidly Being
Devastated.


fore the people OF Colorado at the
present time is that OF the preserva-
tion of the forests. Not only ON ac-
count of the beauty they lend to the
landscape. but for their use as tim
ber. their protection to animals both
wild and domestic, and above all
} their conservation of the water sup
ply. Colorado is fast becoming
prairie country and even the memory
of its splendid heritage of forestry
which came into the hands of its
early settlers has we'll nigh faded
away.
Enos A. Mills, who has given this
subject more earnest study than per-
haps any other man in the state, Is
authority for the statement that the
pioneers of Colorado found here
SO, 600 square miles of forest; enough
to put a mile wide forest belt around
the globe. Only about one seventh
of that amount now remains. He
estimates that about 25, 900 square
miles have been burned by forest
fires.
1t is as though the early settlers
had looked upon the trees as an en-
cumbrance to their lands, a natural
enemy like weeds and vicious wild
animals, to be eXterminated. Per-
haps there was some raeson for this
when trees grew SO thick as to inter-
fere with agriculture, but times have
long since changed in that respect,
and still the work of determination
goes on. A generation has passed.
another is passing and new one
coming on. Will the passing one
hand on to its successor heritage of
barren waste. OF dry and arid lands,
of storm swept and sun baked
pralries. of unpicturesque and unat-
tractive scenery, where the chirp of
the squirrel and the song OF the bird
will be only an echo coming down
from the past? or will an enlight-
ened public sentiment be aroused in
time to stay the hand of destruction
and pass this favored land on to its
next rightful owners more beautiful
and valuable for the present genera.
tion having lived upon it? Time
alone can answer.
Mr.. Mills states that much of the
treeless land can be reforested and
points out the fact that fires are the
II 1v af lnct fTt,nf a,
snow slide often harrows in the tree
seeds which later spring up into
promising growth, but are too often
mercilessly devoured by flames. A
way should be found to prevent
fires. If man will not assist nature
in the work of reforesting he should
at least see that she is protected
from fire. In Germany forest rang
ers are employed with good results.
Watchman are also stationed in
towers with appliances for fighting
fire in easy TELEPHONE connection.
Colorado would do we'll to copy Ger
many.
1t is also recommended by the
| loACoSAy OSoOSAuLloA llloI d law
be passed exempting from taxation
all lands set out in useful trees, at
least for good length of years. Such
law would unquestionably aid ma
terially in the reforesting of the
state. 1t is. pointed out by this as
sociation that the laws already on
the statute books are deplorably de-
fective, not only in their provisions
but in the fact that they provide no
means for their own enforcement.
There is no forestry board, no state
secretary of forestry, no authority to
direct or administer the laws in
the interest of the forestry, and no
appropriation for the purpose.
Hence the laws in existence are a
dead letter.
Annually the sum of s25, 600 is
spent by the state for the protection
and propagation of fish and game,
and yet the very thing that protects
and makes possible the propagation
of both fish and game, the forests, is
left wholly unprotected. When the
forests are gone, fish and game will
be gone, no matter how much money
is blindly thrown away by the state
in trying to preserve them. Denud-
ing of the forests lays bare the
streams to the burning sun and they
stagnate and dry up and the fish
must die or float away to more
friendly streams. Squirrels have no
home except among the trees, when
the trees are cut away the homeless
creatures must perish.
The beaver is little animal, not
classed as game, but of inestimable
value to the trrigator. He builds