The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-04-29

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proclamation creating the Ozark ma
tional forest in the northwestern part
Of the state of Arkansas. The Ozark
and the Arkansas national forest,
which was created In December last,
form the two easternmost national
forests The new forest has an area
of nearly 100000 acres and is located
in Johnson. Newton, Searcy, Hope and
Van Buren, counties, on the divide be-
tween the Arkansas and White rivers.
It includes the Boston mountains and
other ridges along the southern ex-
,remity Of the Ozark range OF Mis-
souri,
The area included In the new Ozark
bforest is natural forest land, for the
most part covered with unbroken
stands of hardwood and shortleaf pine
Oak. hickory, elm, gum. maple and
ash are the predominating trees, while
the pine Is found in limited areas in
the southeastern part of the forest.
The timber is estimated to be worth
not less than s1.5OO.OOO just as It
stands, and may bring s5,OOO,OOO If
properly handled, as the people Of the
country who are now selling the tim.
Der do not realize the value of their
possessions and are accepting $3.50 to
So per 1000 board feet, and in some
cases three TO FIVE dollars per acre
The stands on the forest run ali the
way from nothing up to 1900 feet per
acre. averaging about 5000 feet in
merchantable timber The value Of
timber is conservatiyely placed at
three to five dollars per 1000 feet.
1t is estimated that there is not less
than 500000.0OO feet Of hardwood saw
timber alone, besides vast amount Of
timber suitable for railroad ties han
dies, spokes and wagon stock, and
timber which is not now cut except for
fuel, but which will later become
merchantable as the shortage of hard.
wood increases.
The destruction Of the timber
through fire has reduced the value Of
much Of the land and in many places
the slopes are washed so badly that
I the soil has lost much of its power to
produce timber. 1t is thought, how
ever, that under careful management
most of these areas can in time be re-
forested.
Samuel J. Record supervisor Of the
Arkansas national 4 -st, will also be
in charge Of the Ozark and will con
tinue to have his headquarters at Fort
Smith. It is thought that he will have
four to six guards added to his force
10 begin the administration Of the new
forest in addition to those who have
been appointed on the Arkansas ma
tional forest. These men will be ma
tiyes Of the state.
The Ozark and Arkansas forests
will give the state total national for
est area Of nearly 100000 acres, but
all OF the land is not under govern
ment control. as considerable areas
have been taken up under various
claims. The creation of the Ozark ma
tional forest has put another relatively
small tract Of the immense forest ares
Of the Mississippi valley under a sys
tenn of management according to the
principles of scientific forestry The
work on the forest will serve as al
object lesson Of conservative lumber
ing and win surely be watched Will
interest by private owners of large
tracts Of forest land IN other parts o
the Mississippi valley
/ The headwaters of Buffalo Fork
white river and Little Red river al
included in the Ozark forest. as wei
as numerous smaller streams On &C
count Of the more frequent occurrence
OF fire and the larger area Of denude'
land an the south side, the streams arr
nearly all muddy testifyinA to th'
rarld erosion which is W marked con