The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-03-09
FORDIRECTPRIMARY ADDS TO RESERVES
HgR uLLIOl ACRES SET ASIDE
IN WASHINGTON.

Neservedm Otner States-Pres.
ident in a Statement Explain.
and Defends His Action--Tim.
Der for Settlers.
Washington, March BY a stroka
Of the pen on the eve of the adjourn.
ment of congress, President Roosevelt
added more than 1000, 900 acres Of
land to the reserved areas in the stata
of Washington. He also created 70.
serves or increased the boundaries NJ
present reserves in other states to thu
total number of thirty -two, embracing
probably upwards of 5000, 900 acres
When it became evident that thu
Fulton amendment to the agricultural
appropriation bill, prohibiting the
president from creating any further
forest reserves or enlarging any of the
present ones without the consent Of
congress, would be agreed to by the
house and senate, the forest service
was directed by the president to make
all haste in preparing proclamations
for his signature Withdrawing from
entry large areas Of additional forest
lands in all of the states affected by
the Fulton provision. The work was
pushed with all energy, in order that
the president might issue the procla.
nation before the agricultural appro.
priation bill, forbidding him to do 80.
should come up to him for signature.
President Issues Statement
The president frankly gave bis
grounds for this action in a memor.
andum issued from the White House
yesterday: as follows:
"These forest reserves were agreed
upon and the preparation of the nee.
essary papers ordered some months
ago-in two-thirds of the cases some
years ago-in the exercise of the duty
imposed upon me by act of congress
of March 81, 1881.
The utmost care and deliberation
have been exercised in deciding upon
the boundaries of the proposed re-
serves; in all but a very few cases
long continued and detailed field ex-
aminations have been made, and in
the remainder examinations amply
sufficient to justify the proposed &C.
ton.
''The necessary proclamations
under existing law now come before
me, and the question is presented
whether I should refrain from acting
under the existing law, because there
is now under consideration by con.
gress proposal to change the law 90
as to require congressional action
under the establishing of such forest
reserves. # did not act, reserves
which consider very important for
the interests of the United States
would be wholly or in part dissipated
before congress has an opportunity
again to consider the matter, while
under the action which I propose to
take they will be preserved; and if
congress differs from me in this action
it will have full opportunity in the
future to make such provision as it
may desire anent the discontinuance
of the reserves, by reformative action,
taken with the fullest opportunity Of
considering the subject itself and on
it's own merits. II by any chance
landsmore valuable for other purposes
than for forest reserves is shown to
have been included in those reserves,
/ shall forthwith restore it to entry.
Failure on my part to sign these
proclamations would mean that i'm
mense tracts Of valuable timber would
fall into the hands Of the lumber
syndicates before congress has had an
opportunity to act, whereas the crea'
tion of the reserves means that this
timber will be kept in the interests OF
the home maker; for our entire pur-
pose in this forest reserve policy is to
keep the land for the benefit OF the
actual settler and home seeker, to fur
Their his interests in every way, and,
while using the natural resources OF
the country for the benefit of the pres
ent generation, also 20 use Cnom III
such q manner a. to keep them unim-
paired for the benefit Of the children
now growing up to inherit the land.
This is the final and exclusive object.
not merely Of our forest policy, but
Of our whole pablo land policy.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House, March 2, 1907.
The forest service was unable to tell
just how much additional land has
been Withdrawn, but it was figured out
thst the following additions have been
made in reserves in the state Of Wash
ington:
Washington forest reserve, 2, 276, OoV
acres; Mount Rainier forest reserve,
7SO, 600 acres; Olympic reserve, 49,
900 acres; Priest river reserve, ID
Stevens county, $40, 900 acres. In ad-
dition to these new reserve is Great
cd on the north half Of the Colvllle
Indian reservatin, under the name OF
the Colville forest reserve, and EN-,
bracing S57, 900 acres Of timbered
land.