East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-30

The following brief but compre-
hensive review by the secretary OF ag-
riculture of the forest reserves of the
United States will be of special inter-
est to Umatilla county people, since 4
large part of the county is included in
reserves.
The report for 1906 has Just been
issued by Secretary Wilson and con-
tains many highly interesting topics,
which will be used by the East Ore
gonian from time to time. The report
says.
Great progress has been made in the
practical application of a national for
est reserve policy. In area the reserves
were increased during the year from
s5,693.i22 to 106,999,13S acres.
In revenue the reserves brought in
| S7G7, 1896, as against S60,142.62 for
the preceding year.
one fiscal year of full control under
the forest reserve has established two
facts, viz, that the reserves advance
the present interest of the people of
the west, and that they will speedily
p2y the cost of administering them.
Through government control the in
| terests of the future are safeguarded
without sacrificing those of the pres
ent The reserves powerfully promote
! development, they work counter to the
| prosecution of no industry, and retard
the beneficial! use of resource.
The reserves do not withhold land
from agricultural use, but greatly in
| crease the amount of available farm
| land. The promotion of agriculture
is one of the main ends of the forest
reserve policy. BY guaranteeing fu.
ture supplies of timber they are indis
pensable to the future development of
mining.
The sentiment of stockmen through
out the west is now united in favor of
the forest reserve system, because OF
the gain to them now that the reserve
lnges are safe from overcrowding
aad deterioration. The secretary es.
pecially commends the good will with
which the associations of western
| stockmcn have co-operated with him
Finally, the reserves have proved
beneficial alike to the lumber indus.
try and to the timber consuming pub
lie. The available merchantable tim.
Der is not locked up from present
use, but it will not he disposed Of un-
der Short-sighted policy of utiiza,
ton, which would leave a gap between
the end of the present supply and the
oncoming of a second crop.
The administration of the reserves 1.
| a
meet from their receipts a large par
of the cost of their maintenance anC
are even now beginning to show :
decrease IN net expense to the govern
mert. IN reaching these results II,
unjust burden has been laid on an,
interest BY making over to the sev
eral states in which they are situate,
~ per cent Of the gross receipts from
the national reserves. for the benefi
1 ot counties which would otherwise re
celVe no revenue from part OF thei
area, a real grievance was redressed
. by this means they will contribute ia
1 more to the local public needs tina,
they would pay in taxes if they wer,
. private property
protection to the reserves from fir.
mas been most important task lai,
upon the forest reserve service 1t 4
cause for congratulation that the los
bV fire during the year was sIishs
even by comparison with that of 1905
This favorable result is due to in
creased efficiency Of the patrol sys
tenn, combined with favorable climatl
concitions. The important fact ha
, been demonstrated that the fores
. reserve service is able to substitute
conservative for destructive use. Will
a greatly increasing the use itself.
2 The largest totals Of sales were, fl
/, broad feet, 7S,OO0,000 in South Dako
ia, f1,OOO,OOC in Wyoming, and SO,
y 100000 in Montana. In South Dako
q ia special reason exists for pressing
q the sale of timber with energy.