The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-04
SENDS GREETING
TO GREAT WEST
President ROOSevelt'S Letter
Reviews Work in the Field
of Irrigation.
RECLAMATION SERVICE HAS
ACCOMPLISHED MUCH
Great Problems Still Remain to
Be Solved, but He Is
Sure of Success.

West Until it has been proved that this
great Investment OF $4o,ooo00o In lrrign'
tion made by the Government will be re
turning TO tho treasury, IL is useless to cS-
pect that tho people of the country VIII con.
slider direct appropriations Tor the WORK Let
us give the reclamation service chance 70
utillzc the present Investment second ttme
before discussing such increase L look Tor
ward with great confidence TO the result,
BY the side OF tho reclamation service
there has grown up another service OF NOT
less interest md value TO you OF the west;
This is the forest service which was created
when tho charge OF the forest reserves was
transferred from the Interior department 10
the Department OF As.iculture. Tho forest
policy of the Administration. which the ior'
est service is engaged in carrying ou'' ~
based, as | havo often snid, on The vigorous
purpose 10 make every resource OF the iorost
reserves contribute in the highest degree 10
the permanent prosperity Of the people VINO
depend upon them. II ever the time should
come when the Western forests are destroyed,
there will disappear with them the prosperity
Of the stocknan, the miner, tho lumperman'
and tho railroads. and, most important oil nlI'
the small ranchmau who cultivatcs his own
land. | know that you are with me IN thc
intcntion TO preserve the timber, the water
and the grass by using them fully, out WISE
this through the freest ana most CORDIAL CO.
operation between the Government and every
man who is in sympathy with this Polioy,
the wisdom of which no who knows
the facts can for 4 moment doubt.
IL is now less than two years since the
forest service was established II had
great task before ito create or reorganize
the service on hundred forest reserves and
10 ascertain and meet the very different local
conditions and local needs all over the West.
This task Is not finished. and OF course At
could not have been finished in so shor'
time But the work has been carried ior
ward with energy and intelligence ana
enough has been done TO show how our forest
policy is working out
The result OF first importance to you ss
jrrigators is this: Tho forest service has
proved TINT forest fires can be controlled
cont OF tho area OF the forest reserves was
burned over in 1905. This achievement was
due both to the forest service and to the
effective assistance of settlers and others
in and near the reserves Everything the
Government has ever spent upon ITS Forest
work is small price TO pay Tor the snowl-
edge that the streams which make your
prosperity can be and are boing freed from
the ever-prescnt threat. OF forest hres.
Differences Settled.
fercnccs between the stockmcn and the forest
officers nearly all settled Those which
remain are in process Of settlement. Hearty
cooperation exists almost everywhere between
the officers Of the forest service and the local
associations of stocltmen, who arc appoint
ing advisory committees which nrc systemati
cally consulted by the forest service on all
questions in which they are concerned This
most satisfactory condition OF mutual help
viii be MS welcome to you os 1t is 70 the
Administration and to tho stockmen. To the
stockmen il means more, and moro certain,
grass; TO you, because Of the better pro
lection and visor use of the range, it means
steadier Strcam-1ow and more water
The sales of forestroservc timber TO set
tiers miners lumbermen and other users are
increasing very rapidly, and in that wny also
the reserves are successfully meeting grow
ing need.
Lands in the forest reserves that are
more valuable for agriculture thnn for forest
purposes are being opened TO settlement and
entry as fast as their agricultural character
be asccrtaincd. There is therefore no
longer excuse for saying that the reserves
retard the legitimate settlement and develop
ment Of the country, On the contrary, they
promote and sustain that development, and
they will do so in no way more powerfully
than through their direct contri buttons TO the
schools and roads. Ten per cent OF all the
money received from the forest reserves goes
10 the States for the use OF the counties
in which tho reserves lie, to be used for
schools and roads. The amount OF this
tribution is nearly $4,000 for the 6rst year
1t will grow steadily larger, and will form
certain and permanent source OF income.
which would not have been the case with the
taxes whose place IL takes,
Finally, d body Of intelligent. practical
well-trained men, citizens OF the West, is be-
ing built up-men in whose hands the public
interests, including your own, are and will be
safe.
All these results arc good; but they have
not been achieved by the forest service
alone. On the contrary, they represent also
the needs and suggestions of the people OF
the whole West. They embody constant
changes and adjustments to meet these sug-
gestions and needs The forest policy Of the
Government in the West has now become
what the West desired il to be- II is
National policy-wider than the boundaries
of any Stote, and larger than the interests
Of my single industry OF course n cannot
give any set OF men exactly what they would
choose. Undoubtedly the irrigntor would
often like TO have less stock on his water
lurnbermen would like TO cut timber
the settler and the miner would often like
him TO cut less. The county authorities want
20 more money coming in for schools and
roads. while the lumbermau and stockn,sn n
object to the rise in value OF timber and
whole are. repeat snfe in the hands of the
forest service.
BY keeping the public forests in the pub
lie hands our forest policy substitutes the
good OF the whole people for the profits of
the privileged few. With that result none
will quarrel except the men who are losing
the chance Of personal profit at the public
expense.
Our Western forest policy is based upon
meeting the wishes of the best public senti-
ment OF the whole West II proposs to ere
ote new reserves Wherever forest lands still
vacant are found in the public domain. and
20 give the reserves already made the highest
far our promises 10 the people in regard to
IL hnyo all been m9do good and / have
faith that this policy will be carried to sue
cessful completion, because I believe that
the people OF the West arc behind 1t.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT