Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-02-28
NATION HAS RICHES
IN TIMBER RESERVE
William E. Curtis Calls Great Public
Forests Worth $t,4oo. .0oo, 900.
William E. Curtis, Special Corresnond.

| "H''"t' ~. turuS' special Correspond.
ent, Chicago Record Herald.
! Washington-Ginor Pinchot in
charge of the forestry bureau OF tb.
agricultural department. estimates
that the forest reserves OF the United
States, which already contain I27..
100000 acres, or about 200 900 square
miles, are worth S1,i00, 900, 900. and
mat the standing timber upon them is
worth sTO0.000000. These resery es
have an area equivalent to that of
New England, New York. Delaware,
| New Jersey, Pennsylvania, MARYLAND.
| virginia and the District of Columbia
combined. He expects not only TO
make the forest service self-support-
| ing, but TO make an annual income of
$6.O00,O00 year for the public treas.
| ury by selling the dead and down tim.
ber and cutting out that which Is
ripe and should be removed. This
money, after paying the expense of
maintenance, 1t is proposed To divide
between the federal treasury and the
states in which the forest reserves are
located. In 1905 the revenue from tim
eer sold, the permits for grazing and
cther sources amounted TO 1858. 900
IN lsO6 1t was S763,533, and In 1907 Il
VIII probably amount to something
the only possible sources of revenue
TO the government reserves. II Is pro.
posed to sell the water power to man.
uiacturing industries at the rate of
70 cents per horse power per year.
ana that should bring an additional
income of several million dollars.
II is expected that the forest re
serve bureau OF the agricultural de,
partment will become selfsustaInlng
by the year 1911. Last year more
than a million dollars were appropri-
hted Tor Its support and this year
about 100000. a reduction of $100, 900
The requirements will decrease more
rapidly In the future, as soon as the
bureau completes roads, trails and
bridges by which the interior of the
forests may be reached. At I?esent
II is impossible to get at much of
the dead and down timber, and enor-
nous losses from fire and wastage
take place for that reason every year.
Secretary Wilson and Mr.. Pinchot
asked congress TO advance the bureau
oil forestry the sum OF $5,000,000, of
which $2.000,G00 could be available this
year for the purpose of making per-
manent improvements in order to real
ize upon the wealth that lies latent in
time. to protect Ii from injury and
destruction. The longer these i'm
provements are put off the more the
government will lose. If the necessary
facilities can be provided at once, a
great deal of valuable timber can be
saved and sold and the money turned
into tlhe treasury. Mr.. Pinchot prom
ised that the entire s5,000,000 asked
Tor VIII be returned with interest
within ten years II congress will per-
NIT him to provide these facilities.
The situation of the government Is
| similar to that of a man who has a
large tract of Idle property that would
pay him handsome dividends by the
| expenditure of little money In i'm
| proyements. The government owns
| this vast empire OF forests, which at
the lowest estimate. might be made to
1 pay n revenue of $5,000,000 a year,
! but 1t Is first necessary to provide
/ means to make 1t accessible.
, The committee ON agriculture rec
commended an appropriation of $1,400,-
900 for the current year, and It was
granted by the house of representa-
lives. This money is wanted for per-
manent improvements and the most
| imperative need is trails to enable
| hhc ioithttiS anu lhubtlH W ktI ONtl
the ground rapidly to stop fires. Il
| is absolutely necessary that they
should have quick access to every
| part of a reserve, and sl,500.0OO is
asked for that purpose. By this means
| several times that amount of money
could be saved every year by pre-
venting fires.
The government loses from $4,000
900 to $15.000,000 annually from that
cause, and the greater part OF II could
| be saved II the facilities were provid-
| ed. II our reserves, which are the
J most extensive and the most valua-
BILE OF any nation In the world, were
maintained on the Prussian basis, we
would have 500 supervisors and
| 117,000 rangers employed for their
| protection, instead of ninety super.
visors and 800 rangers, as at present
F! Our rangers are expected to cover
an area OF 200,0 900 acres each, and
each supervisor a territory of lab.
| 600 acres. Their task is made the
more difficult because there are few
/ trails, no telegraph or telephone
lines. no bridges and passage through
: out the forests generally is obstruct
| ed by fallen timber and underground
so that in many cases 1t Is necessary
| ioI tnt IduBtlh 10 AfhNtl iDhb uio
| tances TO reach fires that are burn
ing rapidly.
The fact that the ground is GOV
cred with dead and dry timber ant
brush makes the fires more 6estruc
tive as well as more frequent ant
more difficult to put out. Where
the ground Is clear 1t is considered
an advantage to have II burned owe
every year or so. The ashes fertiliz'
the soil and the fire keeps down thu
useless underbrush, which robs th'
trees of the nourishment they are en-
titled to. A large part OF the fallei
timber is valuable and can be utilized
It is now sold to the highest bidde
In sections as large as they want. Tn
contractors are usually lumbermel
In the vicinity. They are required 4
build roads and practically clear tn
ground within the limits of their cor
tract. so as to remove the creates
danger of fire. They are also allowe
to cut certain amount of standin
timber, which should be cleared ava
for the benefit of the other trees
The supervisors and rangers g
through the forest, mark the tree
that can be cut. and then let the lun