The San Francisco call., 1908-12-13
FLORIDA TO HAVE
NATIONAL FOREST
Roosevelt Signs Proclamation
Creating First Reservation
East of the Mississippi
President Also Brings North
Dakota Into List of States
With Protected Forests

WASHINGTON, Dec. Ito Florida
goes the distinction of getting the first
national forest created east of the
Mississippi river. President Roosevelt
| has just signed a proclamation setting
aside and naming the Ocala national
| forest in Marion county In eastern
| Florada and another proclamation cre-
atfng the Dakota national forest in
Billings county. North Dakota. Inas-
much as the last named national forest
| is the first in North Dakota, the two
( proclamations add two more states to
the list OF those wherein land will be
put under scientific forest administra-
ton. There are now 10 states, and
| Alaska, having national forests.
| Before the creation of the Ocala,
| in Florida, the two forests in Arkan-
sas, the Ozark and the Arkansas, were
| the easternmost national forests Prac-
tically all the other national forests
are in the Rocky mountain and the
Pacific coast states. The Florida forest
has an area of 201, ,4S0 acres, of which
about fourth has been taken up
under various land laws. 1t covers a
| plateau between the st. Johns and
| Ochlawaha rivers and at no point is
an elevation exceeding $50 feet above
| sea level obtained.
SUITED FOR FOREST
The area is by nature better fitted
for the production of forest growth
than for any other purpose. Nearly
| all of the area, however, seems particu-
larly we'll adapted to the growth of
| sand pine, which is even now replacing
| the less valuable species, and with pro-
lection from fire almost the entire area
| will in time undoub tedly be covered
with dense stand of this species. The
long leaf pine, much more valuable
commercial tree than the sand pine,
appears rather sparsely on this forest
and is confined principally to the lower
fiat lands along the streams on the
borders of the forest.
1 In addition to the pines and scrub
growths, bald cypress, cabbage palmetto
and tupelo gum, gradually changing to
water oak, ash, elm, magnolia, hick-
ory and maple are found bordering the
numerous ponds and lakes which are
scattered abundantly throughout the
confines of this forest.
Fire has played a very important
part in bringing about the present
poorly forested condition of the Ocala,
as year after year large fires have
burned uninterruptedly over this tract,
| killing all vegetation and consuming 8
the humus of the soil.
NO SAWMILLS OPERATED
No sawmill operations have been
conducted on the area included in
the Ocala national forest Turpentin-
ing by boxing is carried on over con-
tiguous areas and through the care
less and antiquated methods used the
future pine crop of the adjoining 6
region is greatly jeopardized. The soil
is of little value for agricultural pur-
poses and about the only crop which
can be produced that will be of lasting
value is sand pine and with proper
care and attention there should in
time be a valuable forest of this
species.
The new Dakota national forest con-
sists of 14.0S0 acres in the Bad Lands
region. 1t is located in Billings county
and lies an equal distance between the
Northern Pacific railroad on the north
and the Chicago. Milwaukee and st.
Paul on the south. Its creation is inn
portant, for it means that an expert
mental field for forest planting has
been secured in North Dakota, the
least forested state in the union, hav-
ing only one per cent of tree growth
The forest service expects to establish
forest nurseries with the hope that
| in time to- come the area may be re-
forested by artificial means. This fea-
, ture is expected to prove a very good
object lesson to the settlers, who it is
hoped will in turn plant windbreaks
around their farms.
, WESTERN YELLOW PINE
The forest is very open and for the
most part contains a scattering stand
of western yellow pine timber. Along
the creek bed is found ash. box elder
cottonwood, elm and birch. Cedar
breaks are also found on precipitou.
slopes bordering the streams. Western
yellow pine is the only merchantable
| species however on the forest anC
the average stand per acre is not ovel
1000 feet. The reproduction of pine
is fairly good wherever mature trees