Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-03
P|kCHOT PLANS TO
SETTLE QUESTION
Troublesome Matter Of State
Lands Within National For
ests Requires Solution.
IDEA is TO EXCHANGE BLOCKS.
Under Schemes Suggested Expensive
Litigation Would he Avoided and
Steady Income Assured.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, July 31.--United States
Forester Clifford Pinchot wishes to set
tie permanently the troublesome ques-
ton OF state land within national for
ests. He has suggested that Congress
be asked to offer two plans for the
states which have school lands within
national forests to choose from. One
plan Is to give to each state solid
block of national forest land in ex-
change for all its lands surveyed and
unsurveyed in the forests. This block
would be approximately equal IL area
and value to the lands surrendered.
An exception would be madegof Sec
lions for which indemnity Selection
has already been made elsewhere. Cred
Ii would of course be given for all in
demnity selections in the national for
ests which have been approved by the
secretary of the interior.
STATE FORESTS.
In accordance with the plan suggest
ed, this solid block would be held as
q state forest forever, the state having
right to sell timber from 1t, regulate.
and II IL wishes, charge for grazing,
rights of way, water power sites, tho
exploitation of mineral lands, and all
other uses of its forest. This would
give the state large yearly income
TO be used for school purposes, and IL
it exercised proper care, its forests
would be preserved as permanent
source of income from water power.
grass, timber. and other resources.
The other plan provides that the state
gives up jurisdiction over its land
within the national forests, and receive
in return from the government a
yearly dividend from the earnings of
the forests. The amount of this divi-
dend would depend upon the ratio
which It's state lands bore to the total
national forest which are within the
state.
AN OPEN QUESTION.
From the standpoint of the states,
and of the interests of the national for
ests as well. it is desirable to secure
settlement of the school lands question
along the line of some such plan as
one of those outlined above. One rea-
son for this that the respective rights
of the states and the national govern
ment are In some cases In dispute, and
that agreement on plan like this
would, Il is believed. be fair to both
sides 1t Is of course impossible for
states to take possession of school lands
until after the government surveys
have been made. Under the decisions
WnlCn govern III lHt ulSDOEdl VI lHt
public lands. ordinarily the creation of
u national forest prior to survey ex-
tinguishes the rights which the state
has TO the school land sections after
survey. Some states, however. claim
| that in their cases the statutes which
give them lands for school or other
purposes are so worded as to entitle
them to the land as soon as surveyed.
even though 1t is already part of a
national forest. In the absence of
court decisions. this must be regarded
as an open question.
PLANS OF GREAT ADVANTAGE.
| But whether or not the states are
| in such cases entitled to these lands.
| either of the plans suggested would
| be greatly to their advantage. Scat
| tered sections within national forests
| are, of course, comparatively undesir-
| able and difficult to make good use
| of. Although Congress has given the
states the right TO make indemnity
| selection for school lands within
national forests, they are limited to
| the open public land and in most
| cases have been unable to find land
| outside the national forests of equal
value to that which they give up
| They are therefore compelled ia
choose between retaining ownership
| of isolated sections within the ma
| tional forests ana consolidating their
holdings by taking less valuable land
| outside. These scattered sections car
be administered to much better adj
vantage as integral parts OF the ma
| tional forests than In any other way
so that the state will undoubtedly gel
larger and also more steady re-
turn by exchanging its title to these
lands for a right to a proportional
share in the income from the nation
al forest. The government also gains
for 1t is an advantage TO have such
interior holdings eliminated.
A HEALTHFUL RIVALRY.
on the other hand, IL the state pre-.
fers to exchange for solid block oil